Douglass Caitlin H, Borthwick Aidan, Lim Megan S C, Erbas Bircan, Eren Senem, Higgs Peter
Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2022 May 10;5(2):e36858. doi: 10.2196/36858.
Digital technology and social media use are common among young people in Australia and worldwide. Research suggests that young people have both positive and negative experiences online, but we know little about the experiences of Muslim communities.
This study aims to explore the positive and negative experiences of digital technology and social media use among young people and parents from Muslim backgrounds in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
This study involved a partnership between researchers and a not-for-profit organization that work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. We adopted a participatory and qualitative approach and designed the research in consultation with young people from Muslim backgrounds. Data were collected through in-person and online focus groups with 33 young people aged 16-22 years and 15 parents aged 40-57 years. Data were thematically analyzed.
We generated 3 themes: (1) maintaining local and global connections, (2) a paradoxical space: identity, belonging and discrimination, and (3) the digital divide between young Muslims and parents. Results highlighted that social media was an important extension of social and cultural connections, particularly during COVID-19, when people were unable to connect through school or places of worship. Young participants perceived social media as a space where they could establish their identity and feel a sense of belonging. However, participants were also at risk of being exposed to discrimination and unrealistic standards of beauty and success. Although parents and young people shared some similar concerns, there was a large digital divide in online experiences. Both groups implemented strategies to reduce social media use, with young people believing that having short technology-free breaks during prayer and quality family time was beneficial for their mental well-being.
Programs that address technology-related harms must acknowledge the benefits of social media for young Muslims across identity, belonging, representation, and social connection. Further research is required to understand how parents and young people can create environments that foster technology-free breaks to support mental well-being.
数字技术和社交媒体的使用在澳大利亚乃至全球的年轻人中都很普遍。研究表明，年轻人在网上既有积极体验也有消极体验，但我们对穆斯林群体的体验知之甚少。
本研究旨在探讨澳大利亚维多利亚州墨尔本的穆斯林背景的年轻人及其父母在数字技术和社交媒体使用方面的积极和消极体验。
本研究由研究人员与一个致力于服务文化和语言多元社区的非营利组织合作开展。我们采用了参与式和定性研究方法，并与穆斯林背景的年轻人协商设计了这项研究。通过面对面和在线焦点小组收集了数据，参与者包括33名16 - 22岁的年轻人和15名40 - 57岁的家长。对数据进行了主题分析。
我们得出了三个主题：（1）维持本地和全球联系；（2）一个矛盾的空间：身份认同、归属感和歧视；（3）年轻穆斯林与父母之间的数字鸿沟。结果表明，社交媒体是社会和文化联系的重要延伸，尤其是在新冠疫情期间，人们无法通过学校或宗教场所进行联系的时候。年轻参与者将社交媒体视为一个可以确立自己身份并获得归属感的空间。然而，参与者也有面临歧视以及接触不切实际的美丽和成功标准的风险。尽管家长和年轻人有一些相似的担忧，但在在线体验方面存在很大的数字鸿沟。两组都采取了减少社交媒体使用的策略，年轻人认为在祈祷和高质量家庭时光期间进行短暂的无科技休息对他们的心理健康有益。
解决与技术相关危害的项目必须承认社交媒体对年轻穆斯林在身份认同、归属感、代表性和社会联系方面的益处。需要进一步研究以了解家长和年轻人如何能够创造促进无科技休息的环境来支持心理健康。
