KoLaborategia investigates teenagers’ social media habits
KoLaborategia investigates teenagers’ social media habits
KoLaborategia investigates teenagers’ social media habits
KoLaborategia, the laboratory for Education and Communication for the Digital Society based in the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences at Mondragon University, has analyzed social media trends among 15- and 16-year-olds.
The study launched by KoLaborategia, the laboratory for Education and Communication for the Digital Society, is titled Gazte-RIA and was carried out during the 2019-2020 academic year with support from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Researchers visited educational centers in Gipuzkoa and Labourd, and more than one thousand teenagers participated in the study, each completing three activities: they filled out a questionnaire, wrote in diaries, and participated in in-person discussion groups.
The teenagers discussed the image that they present online and their concern for that image. They also reflected on protecting their private lives and on linguistic trends. In general, the teenagers demonstrated concern for their online image and make an effort to protect their privacy. However, they recognize that the images that are spread online are not in their hands alone and that they also appear in images spread by others. On the other hand, social networks have become essential tools in relationships and in maintaining relationships, and teenagers are connected with each other from the time they wake up until they go to bed, not just during school hours. Relationships, for the most part, are conducted in Spanish or French. Online language use is a reflection of language habits in and out of the home.
The results of this research will be published in the coming months and will also be presented at the participating schools. A total of eleven KoLaborategia researchers took part in this study