Social media is becoming increasingly more significant in everyday life. Minutes turn into hours while scrolling through Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Such social media outlets are especially familiar to young people who are in the process of self-image development. The qualitative and exploratory research was our way of finding out how the youth view social media. We asked them which social media outlets they use, how often they use them, and what kind of content interests them the most. We were also interested in their posting participation and critical reception of the content they are exposed to. The intention was to find out more about their self-image and their views on social media’s influence on one’s perception of self. We aimed to use the results to establish whether it is necessary to develop new methods of social work with young people in a virtual environment, so the principles of social work would apply and be followed in present times as well. Ten female and male high school students were chosen to represent a sample, as this age group is crucial for self-image and identity formation. The research results showed that high school students follow hobby-related social media content, which helps them develop and improve their own hobbies. They listed fun and convenience as the main advantages of social media, but are also aware of the disadvantages and dangers, and are already developing ways of avoiding them. They have proven themselves to be very critical, as they judged most of the content to be unauthentic. Some participate in posting content as well, but not all. The main rule remains that the content has to be good enough to post. The comments and likes they receive online are not as important to them as the response they get in real life. Social media gives them a sense of connectedness and a space for their self-realization. In the past, it was harder to show yourself and your talents, but today, social media has become a centre stage available to anyone and everyone. Based on the results, there is a need for developing methods of social work with young people in a virtual environment.
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