Percepción y uso de las redes sociales por los adolescentes

Abstract

Purpose: Describing the emotional and social effects involved in the use of social networks as part of the adolescent social development. Method: Participants were 324 adolescents aged 14-16 years old who attended four different high schools of Oviedo. Data was collected by handing out a printed version of a validated survey. We carried out a quantitative descriptive analysis of the general data, also according to variables of sex, age and educational center. A qualitative analysis of the open-ended questions was also conducted. Results: 76% of the teenagers connected daily to social networks. 66.7% reported that their sentimental life had barely improved. It is statistically significant that women reported feeling worse about comments or photos posted online to a larger extent than men (p=0,01). 83.9% reported keeping their social media accounts private. Besides, 65,5% perceived that their parents have little or no control over their use of social networks. Conclusions: Most adolescents own a Smartphone and they use social media daily, however, they do not perceive that their social relations have improved thanks to this use. Women participation in social networks is mainly based on sharing content and receiving feedback. And they feel more negative emotional consequences related to their use than men. Regarding privacy, most young people report being quite cautious when it comes to managing their social media privacy settings. Also, women perceive that their parents are more controlling of their use of social networks than men do.