How Do Social Networks Shape Young People? Adolescents Shared Their Perspectives on Digital Identity (SELF-ID Project)

As part of the Erasmus+ project SELF-ID – My Digital Self: Shaping Identity in the Digital Age, research activities are currently underway to prepare the content foundations for a future educational intervention.

The DOBA University of Applied Sciences team successfully conducted two focus groups with adolescents aged between 10 and 14 at Janko Padežnik Primary School Maribor, which is also a partner in the project. The aim of the research is to gain insight into young people’s experience of the digital environment and to explore the impact of social networks, algorithms, online influencers and other digital content on the formation of adolescents’ identity, self-image and self-confidence.

Research activities are currently also being carried out by other project partners from Croatia, Italy and Austria. The research findings will provide the basis for the development of the SELF-ID educational intervention, which will include learning materials for teachers and a tabletop “escape room” game for use in the school environment. A report presenting the research results will be published shortly.

To support the project activities, we are also setting up a repository of high-quality educational resources for teachers and parents, including expert content and useful materials in the fields of digital and media literacy, the impact of social networks, artificial intelligence, online safety, young people’s mental health, and the formation of self-image and identity. The repository will soon be available on the SELF-ID project website.

More information about the project is available at this link.