Exploring the role of social media literacy in adolescents' experiences with personalization: A Norwegian qualitative study

• Published in: Journal of adolescent & adult literacy Vol. 66; no. 4; pp. 239 - 248
• Main Authors: Bell, Ashley Rebecca, Tennfjord, Merete Kolberg, Tokovska, Miroslava, Eg, Ragnhild
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Adolescent Attitudes; Adolescents; algorithmic literacy; Algorithms; awareness; digital literacy; emotion; Familiarity; Foreign Countries; Language Usage; Media Literacy; personalization; Preferences; Role; Social Media; social media literacy; social network; Student Attitudes; teen; Vocabulary; youth; Norway
• ISSN: 1081-3004; 1936-2706
• DOI: 10.1002/jaal.1273

Social media platforms rely on algorithms to filter and select content, thereby personalizing every individual's social media experience. Many use social media without awareness of this personalization and its impact, pointing to a need to both understand and improve literacy among active social media users. This qualitative study addresses adolescents' social media literacy through an investigation of their experiences with personalization on social media, aiming for a nuanced perspective of their outcomes. A thematic analysis of eight focus group interviews with 47 students aged 15–19 years uncovered two main themes: (1) diverse levels of adolescents' awareness and familiarity with personalization and (2) positive, negative, and mixed emotions toward personalization. Theme one uncovered that although the adolescents were largely unfamiliar with the terminology, when prompted, most of them could provide examples of personalization, whereas theme two revealed that adolescents appreciated relevant content and yet were uneasy about certain features.