Digitally Connected: Youth, Digital Media and Social Inclusion

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Childhood and Youth Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 538

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Media and Communication, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
Interests: digital media; Asian media; media diversity; sport and diversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores young people’s relationships with, use of, and interactions on digital media. Digital media dominates the lives of an entire generation. It plays an integral part in young people’s sense of belonging and identity, their social interactions, their working lives, their self-expression, and their consumption of news and information.

As Guest Editor of this Special Issue, I want to highlight the current research into the centrality of digital media in the lives of young people. I am seeking submissions including (but not limited to) the following themes or topics.

  • How does digital media affect young people’s identity, belonging, and sense of self?
  • What do young people get out of digital media? How do they learn from it, and how does it enrich or hinder their lives?
  • How are digital platforms and applications used in organising and lobbying by young people around special interests or hobbies?
  • How do young people navigate personal relationships and social interaction through digital media?
  • How do young people consume, or create, digital news and information?
  • How do young people incorporate digital media in their professional lives, or in the service of their work?

Other submissions involving young people’s relationships with digital media will also be considered.

Dr. Nasya Bahfen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • digital media
  • digital news
  • social identity
  • social inclusion
  • social media
  • youth
  • youth cultures
  • digital platforms
  • online communities

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

29 pages, 1740 KiB  
Article
Disparities in Design for a Youth Audience: “Digital Native” Versus “Digital Migrant” Newspapers in Saudi Arabia
by Eman Alkhomees and Nasya Bahfen
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(6), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14060353 - 3 Jun 2025
Viewed by 127
Abstract
This study investigated how the front-page designs of digital newspapers differ based on institutional origin—comparing platforms that were born-digital with those that have transitioned from print—focusing specifically on their appeal to Generation Z audiences. Grounded in Media Richness Theory, this research employed a [...] Read more.
This study investigated how the front-page designs of digital newspapers differ based on institutional origin—comparing platforms that were born-digital with those that have transitioned from print—focusing specifically on their appeal to Generation Z audiences. Grounded in Media Richness Theory, this research employed a mixed-methods approach that combined a quantitative visual content analysis with qualitative semi-structured interviews. In the quantitative phase, the front pages of ten Saudi digital newspapers (five digital-native and five digital-migrant) were systematically analyzed to identify differences in their layouts, typography, multimedia usage, and interactivity. The qualitative phase then explored Generation Z users’ perceptions of the design clarity, visual engagement, and interactive affordances, as well as their suggestions for improving interface usability. The results indicate that digital-native newspapers more closely adhere to contemporary digital design standards and demonstrate significantly higher levels of media richness. This study contributes to digital journalism scholarship by offering both theoretical insights into interface-centered richness and practical design recommendations for enhancing user experience and engagement among younger audiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitally Connected: Youth, Digital Media and Social Inclusion)
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