Messenger and social network sites as tools for sociability, leisure and informal learning for Spanish young people

Abstract

Today’s youth are the first generation to have grown up in an environment characterized by the widespread use of the Internet, especially in the form of instant messaging services (such as Messenger) and social network sites (SNSs), which are part of their everyday life and constitute essential tools to communicate, share, participate and create. This research note discusses qualitative information obtained from various discussion groups about the actual use of the Internet, messaging services and SNSs. In addition, quantitative data obtained through a survey of the Spanish population between 12 and 18 years old are provided as a general context to position the discussion. The data show that young people have mainly learnt to use the Internet in informal spaces. For them, these technologies are primarily tools for leisure and sociability. Moreover, youth perceptions about their own use of digital technologies show characteristic forms of management of their social needs related to being a teenager, as well as the construction of their own codes and communication protocols.