‘They are watching you do everything online’: Children's perceptions of social media surveillance

Abstract

AbstractThrough a Foucauldian lens, this qualitative study explored the perspectives and lived conditions of children's experiences of social media surveillance. Sixteen children between the ages of 10 and 11 years old participated in the creative method of collaging with an unstructured interview in four schools in South Wales, UK. Visual combined with verbal analysis found a nuanced picture of how social media surveillance has influenced children's cultural and social practices of their childhood. Despite the challenges of peer and adult control exemplified, children did demonstrate agency within their digital spaces. Policy implications should involve a stronger emphasis on developing children's emotional resilience and discernment surrounding perceived surveillance.