EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS

Generation Z, marked by new media, interconnectedness, and a culture of instant gratification, allocates much of its time to social media platforms. Beyond their multifaceted functions, these platforms have the potential to facilitate learning by enabling teenagers to engage in various stages of...

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Main Author: Denisa Lăcătuș
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Bucharest Publishing House 2025-06-01
Series:Styles of Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X9zDmtCGfkG6qMeKFs8dXhvhA5G2s__S/view
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author Denisa Lăcătuș
author_facet Denisa Lăcătuș
author_sort Denisa Lăcătuș
collection DOAJ
description Generation Z, marked by new media, interconnectedness, and a culture of instant gratification, allocates much of its time to social media platforms. Beyond their multifaceted functions, these platforms have the potential to facilitate learning by enabling teenagers to engage in various stages of knowledge construction, such as sharing ideas, identifying discrepancies, synthesizing information, and applying knowledge. This study investigates the role of Instagram and TikTok as knowledge sources for Generation Z by analyzing both the contributions and concerns related to the consumption of educational content. To achieve this, we conducted expert interviews (N=13) with academicians and practitioners from Romania, Germany, and the USA. The results indicate that social media can facilitate social interactions and identity formation among adolescents while also serving as a source of information and knowledge. However, adolescents should be guided in navigating the potential threats and mitigating their harmful effects. Additionally, the gathered expertise contributed to developing a guideline for practitioners, focusing on the key elements for creating educational content for teenagers.
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publisher University of Bucharest Publishing House
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spelling doaj-art-8576c7c13daf4e9abe623e57e261c0eb2025-08-20T03:22:26ZengUniversity of Bucharest Publishing HouseStyles of Communication2065-79432067-564X2025-06-0117163100https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.17.1.02EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTSDenisa Lăcătuș0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5298-9760Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaGeneration Z, marked by new media, interconnectedness, and a culture of instant gratification, allocates much of its time to social media platforms. Beyond their multifaceted functions, these platforms have the potential to facilitate learning by enabling teenagers to engage in various stages of knowledge construction, such as sharing ideas, identifying discrepancies, synthesizing information, and applying knowledge. This study investigates the role of Instagram and TikTok as knowledge sources for Generation Z by analyzing both the contributions and concerns related to the consumption of educational content. To achieve this, we conducted expert interviews (N=13) with academicians and practitioners from Romania, Germany, and the USA. The results indicate that social media can facilitate social interactions and identity formation among adolescents while also serving as a source of information and knowledge. However, adolescents should be guided in navigating the potential threats and mitigating their harmful effects. Additionally, the gathered expertise contributed to developing a guideline for practitioners, focusing on the key elements for creating educational content for teenagers.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X9zDmtCGfkG6qMeKFs8dXhvhA5G2s__S/viewsocial mediaadolescentsinformal educationeducational content
spellingShingle Denisa Lăcătuș
EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS
Styles of Communication
social media
adolescents
informal education
educational content
title EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS
title_full EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS
title_fullStr EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS
title_full_unstemmed EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS
title_short EXPLORING DIGITAL SELF-EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS
title_sort exploring digital self education a qualitative study of expert insights
topic social media
adolescents
informal education
educational content
url https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X9zDmtCGfkG6qMeKFs8dXhvhA5G2s__S/view
work_keys_str_mv AT denisalacatus exploringdigitalselfeducationaqualitativestudyofexpertinsights