Self-determination and identity formation via social media: Experiences of youths-at-risk

Social media via Internet-enabled platforms allow youths actively consume, create and disseminate information. Without exception, services such as online social networking, micro-blogging and video-sharing have been embraced by youths in countries with widespread Internet access. Research findings suggest that youths' use of social media, be it in educational or recreational pursuits, whether with proximate peers or distant others, help to shape their sense of self. However, prior research has focused on mainstream youths rather than marginalised youth populations. To address this inadequacy, social media use of juvenile delinquents and youths-at-risk in Singapore was studied through 36 interviews with youths-at-risk, and 24 with social workers. The findings indicate that for this vulnerable youth population, social media can become a platform through which they are unwittingly drawn into criminal behaviour; and post-rehabilitation, social media may offer an insidious route to recidivism. Yet opportunities also arise for these youths’ self-determination as they can derive competence, autonomy and relatedness through their social media use. Benefits also accrue for these youths’ identity formation as they employ social media in their bid for self-discovery and self-awareness.