Global Perspectives – Communication and collaboration | e-Consult
Communication and collaboration (1 questions)
Answer: Investigating the impact of social media on adolescent mental well-being presents a complex research challenge. A range of research methods can be employed, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Ethical considerations are paramount when working with vulnerable populations like adolescents.
Research Methods and Challenges/Benefits:
- Surveys (Quantitative):
- Benefits: Can gather data from a large sample size, allowing for statistical analysis and identification of trends. Relatively inexpensive and easy to administer.
- Challenges: Reliance on self-reported data which can be subject to bias (e.g., social desirability bias). Correlation does not equal causation. Difficult to establish a causal link between social media use and mental well-being.
Citation: Twenge, J. M. (2019). iGen: Why today's teens are wired differently and what it means for our future. Atria Books.
- Interviews (Qualitative):
- Benefits: Provides in-depth understanding of individual experiences and perspectives. Can explore complex issues and uncover nuanced viewpoints.
- Challenges: Time-consuming to conduct and analyze. Small sample sizes may limit generalizability. Researcher bias can influence the interview process.
Citation: Gergen, T. (1999). Social psychology: The nature of human problems. Psychology Press.
- Experiments (Quantitative):
- Benefits: Allows for the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships. Provides a controlled environment to isolate variables.
- Challenges: Ethical concerns regarding manipulating social media use in adolescents. Artificiality of the experimental setting may not reflect real-world behavior. Difficult to generalize findings to the broader population.
Citation: Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
- Content Analysis (Qualitative/Quantitative):
- Benefits: Can analyze the content of social media posts to identify themes and patterns related to mental well-being. Can be used to track changes over time.
- Challenges: Subjectivity in coding and interpretation. Difficult to capture the full context of social media interactions. Large datasets can be overwhelming.
Citation: Krippendorff, R. (2018). The alpha of content analysis. Sage publications.
Ethical Considerations: Informed consent from participants and their parents/guardians is crucial. Anonymity and confidentiality must be protected. Researchers should be sensitive to the potential for causing distress to participants. Debriefing should be provided to participants after the study.