Exploring the social media networks of primary school children

Abstract

Social media apps are being increasingly used by primary school children and this has influenced how they connect and communicate with others. Child use of social media has raised societal concerns about its impact on early development. To gain a deeper understanding of children’s experiences with social media, children in grade 5 (N = 28; girls: 17, boys: 11) from Southeast Queensland, Australia, were interviewed about the types of social media apps they use, who they connected with online, and for what purposes. Interviews were videoed, transcribed verbatim, and analysed to map out children’s social media networks and explore key themes about their social media experiences with family, friends, and teachers. This study found that all the children used social media to connect with friends, family, and teachers, mainly for the purposes of contacting, chatting, and exchanging information with others. Children’s social media use reflected their awareness of staying safe online and capacity to manage risks and be selective about whom they trusted and connected with. Further work is needed to understand how these social media skills emerge in the early school years and how children build their social media networks.