Acknowledging the importance of technology in the mental health and wellbeing of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper aims to analyse the uses of mobile health applications by young Portuguese adults focusing on the following research question: How do the uses of m-apps by young adults interact with health and wellbeing from a gender perspective? An online survey was conducted to a representative sample of young Portuguese adults (18–30 years), under the objectives of the MyGender project that studies the interconnections of young adults with m-apps, with their technicity and imaginaries. The approach followed in this paper is quantitative-extensive. Results reveal low usage of overall health and wellbeing apps, particularly among single respondents who do not have children. Health and self-tracking apps are among the 10 most frequently used apps. Only 6.20% of the sample considers mental health apps (mHapps) as one of the three most important types of apps. Having children is a factor for a bigger interconnectedness of the respondents with overall health and wellbeing apps and the general quality of care.

Better theories and practices are constructed through a deep understanding of the subjects involved. In Portugal, young adults aged 18 to 30 are a group sometimes left out because the Portuguese official statistical data does not treat this as an age category by itself, dividing it either into young people or the general idea of adults. Through a social constructivist quantitative approach, this article seeks to construct a profile of young adulthood in Portugal, both in socio-demographic terms and in terms of their relationship with media. An online survey was conducted on a representative sample of young Portuguese adults (18–30 years), guaranteeing a margin of error of ±2.53% at the 95% confidence level. Results reveal that 83.5% of young adults identify themselves as heterosexual, and 83.5% do not have children. The average age of respondents with children is 26 years old. Most young adults (63.5%) live with their parents or other adult relatives, and the vast majority (82.2%) of these parents or relatives with whom they live are employed and have primary or secondary education. Mobile phones (92.8%), laptop computers (84.1%), and TV with a box (78.5%) are the primary media to which the young people in the sample have access. The mobile phone stands out in particular, as 90.2% of those inquired revealed that they use it every day. Social media are identified as the most frequently consumed type of media content (81.1% every day). These findings strengthen the idea of the centrality of the mobile phone in daily lives, especially among young adults, as well as social media platforms. This research helps to understand that the young adult profile in Portugal presents themselves as heterosexual, has no children, lives with parents or other adult relatives, and uses a mobile phone daily, despite having other media available for its use.

The rise of the mobile era has brought ubiquity in media access, constant connection to other people and interconnectedness with devices as part of life. Considering mobile devices and mobile applications (m-apps) as an environment that allows multitasking, this article is interested in understanding the performance of popular m-apps in the daily lives of young adults in Portugal. It is also focused on how these apps relate to their personal contexts and experiences. To this end, an online questionnaire survey was conducted using a quantitative-extensive methodological strategy. The research involved applying a set of data collection questions to a representative sample of Portuguese young adults (N = 1500) aged 18-30. The results show that more than 90% of Portuguese young adults use m-apps every day, emphasising social media applications (daily use between 81,32% and 91,21%). It is also important to note that the use of m-apps dialogues with their personal contexts is substantially different from the perceived relevance of apps. Social and entertainment apps are more consumed and show an extension of the self that is not perceived to be as important as apps with social uses.

Considerando o grupo específico de jovens adultos(as) em Portugal, o artigo visa perceber se e de que forma as aplicações móveis interferem com as identidades de género e as práticas sexuais. A abordagem metodológica adotada é quantitativa, operacionalizada através de um inquérito por questionário a uma amostra representativa (N=1500) de jovens (18-30 anos). Os resultados indicam que a orientação sexual influencia os comportamentos relacionados com a intimidade e os imaginários das identidades sexuais e de género. Atendendo à forma como as aplicações móveis são incorporadas no quotidiano, constata-se a relevância do género com 66,2% dos(as) participantes a designar o género nas aplicações e 37,9% a afirmar que este é a representação da sua identidade. Os resultados mostram ainda que 19,2% dos(as) inquiridos(as) menciona que não há opção para o género com que se identifica, pelo que é possível inferir que as interfaces digitais podem limitar ou impor imaginários normativos.

In the dynamic landscape of online interactions, this article explores the use of digital diaries to unravel the intricacy of Portugal young adults’ experiences within the realm of apps and their connection to gender dynamics. By designing a digital participatory research method, we were able to reflect on the participants’ experiences in maintaining the requested diaries, scrutinize the major themes in the narratives generated through this approach, and examine how participants interacted with the prompts sent to them. Therefore, we delved into how participants both challenged and (re)negotiated these solicitations and how their agency led to an untapped reservoir of insights for the project in ways that went beyond words. There were visual and non-verbal elements that brought insights into young adults’ interactions with mobile applications, offering a comprehensive exploration of four key themes: mobile apps as part of young adults’ routines, between performance and authenticity, making the diaries their own, and elaborating on feelings. We also explored diary methods at the convergence of various disciplines and their high potential for contributing to topics related to gender, mental health, productivity, relationships, online identity management, apps in everyday life, intimacy, and more in creative ways.