Child welfare and Social Media – citizenship practice in the digital public sphere

The development of internet and different social media offers new possibilities for individual expression in the public sphere and collective mobilization. Previous research on child welfare and social media in Norway has... [ view full abstract ]

The development of internet and different social media offers new possibilities for individual expression in the public sphere and collective mobilization.
Previous research on child welfare and social media in Norway has mostly concentrated on online contact between children in substitute care and their biological parents. However, these studies have not focused on discussions on child welfare in public digital space, i.e. space on the internet to which everybody has access.
By showing how social media can serve as an arena for participation, this article attempts to fill in this gap in the research literature.
This paper explores various forms for public participation and mobilization related to child welfare in social media. The key question is whether these forms of participation can be viewed as citizenship practices.
This paper draws on a qualitative study of discussions and statements about child protection in Norwegian social media. The data are collected from Twitter, Facebook groups and other forum of discussions. Only publicly available contents are included.
The study sheds light on five different participation forms in Norwegian social media, some of which may be considered as citizenship practices.
These findings have implications for child welfare as a professional and political field. Knowledge about participation in public debates about child welfare, and related opportunities and risks, is not only important for politicians and decision makers. It also offers valuable insights for child welfare workers, children and parents who have been in contact with child welfare services, interest groups and citizens interested in child welfare.