Photo Elicitation Interviews with Middle School Students on their Perceptions and Experiences of Digital Communication and Friendship

This study explored adolescents’ perceptions and experiences of digital communication and friendship. Eight first-year middle school students participated in this study. Using the photo elicitation interview method, which incorporated activity sheets and student-generated photos, adolescents’ perceptions and experiences of digital communication and friendships were analyzed. As a result, first, the perception of online and offline friendships was classified and categorized into three to four ranges according to intimacy, and the best friend relationship was expressed as less than five people, both online and offline. Offline relationships significantly influenced adolescents’ online friendships, with the same individuals often identified as close friends in both contexts. The most intimate friendships were extensions of offline relationships, and digital communication played an important role in forming peer relationships. Second, adolescents actively employed all seven functions of social networking services(SNS)—identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups—in their digital communication. Notably, the functions of sharing, presence, and reputation uniquely reflected the alpha generation’s communication and relationship formation strategies. Based on these findings, further research is recommended to develop relationship education programs that leverage digital communication to foster adolescents’ positive interpersonal relationships, both online and offline.