Research on youth transitions, and the well-being of young people, has to take into consideration the digital context in which they are immersed. Digital interaction of young people increase year by year, social networking sites play a key role in their personal and professional relationships, and a very high percentage of jobs require digital skills. According to Eurostat (2019), participating on social networking sites (one of the most common online activities in the EU-28), is growing every year [more than half (56%) of individuals aged 16–74 used the internet for social networking sites], and this percentage increases among the younger generations. In this article, we present the results of our research on the digital skills and well-being of young people on Facebook, based on a survey with a sample of 126 young people graduated from the University of Málaga (School of Social Work) (Spain). Based on certain scales, the level of digital skills that students have on Facebook was measured, considering strategic aspects for information search, level of use and presence of Facebook in life, maintenance of relations and tolerance to diversity. Variables of psychosocial well-being were also measured (social capital, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and personal well-being). Variables of digital skills on Facebook were subsequently related to well-being variables. Results show that certain digital skills relate to the well-being of young people. In this sense, we deem it crucial to develop education policies that could provide young graduates with general digital skills to be used on social networking sites.

Our current age of connectedness has facilitated a boom in interactive dynamics within social networking sites. It is, therefore, possible for the field of Social Work to draw on these advantages in order to connect with the unconnected by strengthening online mutual support networks among users. The aim of this article is to examine whether ‘connectedness’ in social networking sites improves online social capital and resilience of social service users. Through our analysis of social networks carried out on an experimental model, we observed the patterns of connectedness on Facebook of 50 social service end-users from Málaga, Spain. The detection of online communities through the modularity algorithm has allowed us to ascertain whether individuals’ offline realities mirror their online realities. At the same time, we examined the influence certain interactions (likes, comments, etc.) have on leadership through online ethnography. Finally, online social capital, understood as the combination of connectedness and online interaction, has been correlated with users’ resilience. The results reveal that both connectedness and interaction feed themselves and have correlations with resilience.

El Mediterráneo es una de las rutas migratorias más mortíferas del mundo y se ha convertido una vez más en centro de la polémica en relación a la actuación del buque humanitario Open Arms. Este buque, tras rescatar migrantes del mar, estuvo en travesía durante diecinueve días, bloqueado institucionalmente y envuelto en disputas diplomáticas en la Unión Europea. Como reacción, la ciudadanía, distintos actores sociales y la propia ONG Open Arms hicieron uso de Twitter para intercambiar información y expresar opiniones y sentimientos en relación con el fenómeno migratorio. En este artículo se analizan pautas de conectividad e interacción de los usuarios de Twitter en torno al hashtag #Openarms. Tras recoger muestras masivas de tuits con técnicas de extracción, se identificaron los actores sociales con mayor liderazgo mediante análisis de redes sociales. Se han detectado comunidades por medio del algoritmo de modularidad, cuyo contenido ha sido interpretado mediante netnografía. Los resultados evidencian cómo los usuarios de Twitter tienden a congregarse con quienes comparten sus mismas creencias, formándose las denominadas cámaras eco. La interacción en base a este suceso despertó estados emocionales colectivos que dieron lugar a burbujas filtro que potenciaron la desinformación y la polarización entre comunidades.

Social networking sites have enabled a high connectedness leading to unprecedented interactive dynamics. Social workers are using these digital means and are generating communities of practice through which they cooperate and shareinformation. Through netnography and analysis of social networking sites we have observed the presence, identity, and connectedness, and interaction patterns on LinkedIn of 170 social workers who worked at 41 organizations from specificcontexts. Implicit communities were identified through various algorithms, thus analyzing leadership and cohesion of their members. Results show connectedness and interaction patterns that lead to the creation of communities of practice on LinkedIn based on social work domains and practices. The possibility of establishing and maintaining relationships on LinkedIn and applying social networking sites to social intervention as an innovative strategy to improve information exchange and cooperation between professionals and organizations is addressed in the discussion. La mayor conectividad que ofrecen las redes sociales online ha posibilitado el auge de dinámicas interactivas inéditas hasta hace poco. Los trabajadores sociales están utilizando estos medios digitales, generando comunidades de práctica desdelas que intercambian información y cooperan. Utilizando netnografía y análisis de redes sociales hemos observamos la presencia, la identidad y las pautas de conectividad e interacción en LinkedIn de 170 trabajadores sociales que trabajabanen 41 organizaciones en un contexto determinado. Mediante determinados algoritmos hemos identificado comunidades implícitas, analizando la cohesión entre los miembros. Los resultados revelan pautas de conectividad e interacción que dan lugar a comunidades de práctica en LinkedIn en torno a dominios y prácticas de los trabajadores sociales. Se discuten las posibilidades de establecer y mantener relaciones en LinkedIn y la oportunidad de incorporar las redes sociales onlinea la intervención social como fórmula de innovación social que mejore el intercambio de información y la cooperación entre profesionales y organizaciones.

In a transnational context defined by the irruption of COVID-19 and the social isolation it has generated around the world, social networking sites are essential channels for communicating and developing new forms of social coexistence based on connectivity and interaction. This study analyzes the feelings expressed on Twitter through the hashtags #YoMeQuedoEnCasa, #stayhome, #jeresteàlamaison, #restealamaison, #stoacasa, #restaacasa, #ficaemcasa, #euficoemcasa, #ichbleibezuHause and #Bleibzuhause, and the communicative and social processes articulated from network participation, during the lockdown in 2020. Through Gephi software, the aspects underlying the communicative interaction and the distribution of the network at a global level are studied, with the identification of leaderships, communities and connectivity nodes. As a result of this interaction, the emergence of social and organizational links derived from community participation and motivated by the common interest of preserving health and general wellbeing through collective action is detected. The study notes the presence of feelings of solidarity, a sense of community and social support among connected crowds who, despite being in geographically dispersed settings, share similar concerns about the virus effect.

Social networking services are becoming parallel socialization universes. In these digital contexts, people tend to connect with others who share their perspectives and opinions about the world. Emerging voices are warning about the growing homophily resulting from these forms of socialization, which can have a negative impact on tolerance to diversity and the quality of social capital. Relational approach disciplines such as social work can provide digital skills and competences to improve the manner in which these services are used. In this article, the authors analyse how patterns of connectedness among social work graduates affect tolerance to diversity and social capital. A sample of 126 social work graduates was analysed to assess their connectedness patterns on Facebook. Participants were also asked about their digital competences and skills in order to know how these variables can mediate the achievement of tolerance to diversity and social capital. Results show that higher connectedness, when social work graduates have digital skills on Facebook, leads to higher tolerance to diversity and social capital. In order to counteract homophily, social workers must encourage users to acquire digital skills thus increasing tolerance for diversity.