Posting “what” on social media? The (mis-)use of Facebook by young people in refugee camps
| Date | 19 December 2024 |
| Pages | 134-147 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-05-2024-0065 |
| Published date | 19 December 2024 |
| Author | Valentina Baú |
Posting “what”on social media? The
(mis-)use of Facebook by young
people in refugee camps
Valentina Baú
Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI),
Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to shed lighton the threats that young people living in refugee camps face in their
use of Facebook. While social media enable a participatory process of communication (Russo et al., 2008),
which is based on the agency of the communicator and defined by their own cultural and moral goals (Lee
et al., 2023), these platformscan at times be inappropriately pursued if the communicator lacks relevantskills.
The outcomeof such a pursuit can also inadvertently damagesocial cohesion in the camp and lead to conflict.
Design/methodology/approach –A total of 17 semi-structured interviewswere carried out in 2023 with
young people between the agesof20 and 29 living in Kakuma refugee camp.The young refugees were asked
questions related to theirown behaviour and practices on Facebook and to those of their peers. The focus was
specifically on the contextof the interactions with other youth in Kakuma and on the camp’s Facebookgroups
or pages.
Findings –Findings reveal that limited knowledge, understanding and awareness of the functioning and
affordances of social media platforms such as Facebook are leading young refugees towards multiple risks
involved in public onlineinteractions. This has significant negative impactsnot only on the lives of the youth
who are active on social media in the camp but also on the relationships with their peers and overall
communityharmony.
Originality/value –A number of studies have identified someofthe dangers arising for refugees operating
in online spaces, and particularly on social media platforms (see, for example, Tech Transparency Project,
2022; Dekker et al., 2018). Yet, there is a lack of researchon the outcomes that young refugees face in their
immediate virtual and physical environmentasa result of their online behaviour. To the best of the author’s
knowledge, this study is the first to bring to light the natureof the interactions and the dynamics that young,
encamped refugeesengage in on Facebook and to offer useful reflections that can inform digitalliteracy efforts
carried out by developmentagencies.
Keywords Communication, Refugee camps, Youngpeople, Refugees,Social media
Paper type Research paper
Refugees and social media
There is a considerable literature on refugees’use of social media (and, more generally, on
information and communication technologies –ICTs, including mobile phones). This work
generally demonstrates the value and, indeed, the crucial role that social media, allied with
mobile technologies, have for those who have been forcibly displaced. Nevertheless, this
literature remains equivocal, with different studies differing in focus, perspective and even
questions that are not necessarily concerned with a direct response to this subject. The
The author would like to thank FilmAid Kenya for their invaluable support to this research.
Funding: This work was funded by the Australia Research Council [DE210100710].
JICES
23,1
134
Received30 May 2024
Revised11 September 2024
3 November2024
27 November2024
Accepted2December2024
Journalof Information,
Communicationand Ethics in
Society
Vol.23 No. 1, 2025
pp. 134-147
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/JICES-05-2024-0065
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1477-996X.htm
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