Browsing by Author "Radmore, Aletta Sophia (Alé)"
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- ItemExploring the phenomenon of ephemeral social media stories amongst adolescents(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Radmore, Aletta Sophia (Alé); Conradie, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored the role of social media stories, and the ephemeral nature thereof, in adolescent development. Social media stories are a relatively new phenomenon in the social media world, originating on different social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat from 2015 onwards. Various studies have explored the role or effect of social media on adolescent development. However, the existing research does not address this new feature on social media, self-destructing social media stories, and the resultant role it plays in the developmental phase of adolescence. Adolescents are faced with various opportunities and vulnerabilities in this critical phase of their development. In this study, the experiences of adolescents in social media stories with the opportunities and vulnerabilities pertinent in this developmental phase were explored and compared. The developmental theories of adolescence based on developmental domains (physical, social, emotional, cognitive and neuro-developmental) were applied as a theoretical lens for the study. This study aimed to extend the research on social media stories by attempting to gain a greater understanding of the adolescents’ experience of the phenomenon through a developmental lens. A qualitative, interpretive approach was followed to understand adolescents' experiences while using social media stories. Purposive sampling in the form of a three-tiered sampling process was used to identify the most suitable research participants. Multiple data-collection methods were intertwined with the sampling process, including electronic questionnaires, a diary entry, semi-structured narrative interviews, field notes, and a thorough literature review. A dual approach of analysis involving thematic analysis and narrative analysis was utilised to analyse the data. Thematic analysis was applied to all the research questions. Furthermore, the study involved narrative analysis in the form of ‘re-storying’ the positive and negative experiences with social media stories that the adolescent participants had had. A combined narrative was employed to deepen insight into the phenomenon of their experiences, and to allow readers to make their own assumptions. The role of social media stories in this study was explored by considering the adolescents’ use of social media stories, analysing their positive and negative experiences with the feature, investigating its relevance to the domains of adolescent development, and identifying potential support structures for their engagement with social media stories. Positive experiences were mostly related to the social domain and negative experiences to the cognitive and emotional domains. The potential permanence of impermanence is highlighted by considering the less ephemeral role the phenomena could play in adolescent development by means of negative internal experiences or positive external experiences.