Perception of Risk in the Use of Technologies and Social Media. Implications for Identity Building during Adolescence

Abstract

Life for today’s adolescents generally involves spending a large part of their time in front of a screen, permanently connected to the internet. It is no surprise to learn that recent years have witnessed an increase in the number of studies on how adolescent identities are being affected by the phenomenon of hyperconnectivity. This article addresses the perception adolescents have of the uses and functions they encounter during the time they are online and their self-perceived risks, as well as the tools or strategies they use to tackle the threats of a hyperconnected society. This involved designing a qualitative study in which 130 adolescents took part in different focus groups. The results revealed that adolescents use technologies mainly as a means of communication and entertainment, and as they mature, they perceive greater risks associated with this use. The study also found that they deploy few tools and strategies to deal with the self-perceived risks.