Young people and perceptions of digital skills: a qualitative study through focus group

Abstract

The transformations in the context of adolescents’ use of social media compel an exploration through qualitative analysis of the perception of digital competencies. The overarching goal was to garner insights into students’ views on their own and adults’ digital competencies and habits. Two focus groups were conducted with 24 students from a high school with the aim of exploring: digital competencies, use of digital tools, communication styles, and opinions on communication tools. The general findings reveal perceptions of personal competencies, the relationship with social media, and communicative preferences depending on the interlocutor; the request for adult assistance in understanding basic communicative functions (such as the use of WhatsApp, for example) and the sometimes risky style of presence on digital platforms.