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tative sample (n = 50, age: 11–19). The study delivered interesting results not only concerning the media habits of children and adolescents, but more
important lead to questioning the quality of research questions as well as overhasty assessments of the media literacy of young people. The latter will be
in the centre of this presentation. Therefore the mentioned study will serve as an example. On this basis the quality of judgements from quantitative and
qualitative data as well as typical current questions in the research on young audiences will be questioned. It will also be shown that answers regarding
media literacy practices (e.g. privacy settings, research techniques, evaluation of media content etc.) are to some extent more relying on social desirability
than on the actual media habits of young people. Also the impact of social class and social environment on the way of dealing with questions in a ques‑
tionnaire or in an interview will be analysed. Finally it will be discussed in how far such biases can be ignored or research questions and research methods
could be elaborated to avoid them. References: EU Kids Online (2014) EU Kids Online: findings, methods, recommendations. EU Kids Online, LSE. http://
eprints.lse.ac.uk/60512/ mpfs (2015) JIM-Studie 2015: Jugend, Information, (Multi-)Media. Basisuntersuchung zum Medianumgang 12- bis 19-Jähriger.
Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest.
PN 230 Family Digital Cultures and Understandings of the World: A Critical View of Participatory Action Research
M.J. Brites1
1 Communication and Society Research Centre CECS/UMinho, Communication Sciences, Braga, Portugal
The participatory methodologies and particularly the participatory Action Research (PAR) approaches can promote a more comprehensive and in-depth
understanding of the role of media in specific communities. This is of special interest if we are focusing on issues in constant change such as digital cul‑
tures and their connections with news and our understanding of the world. To better perceive the changes, the research should go further than the use
of single techniques (Lewin, 1946). This presentation aims to describe a PAR project in Portugal (ANLite, SFRH/BPD/92204/2013 and COST IS0401), which
is concentrated on two very different realities: a middle class community and a deprived area. We would highlight that Portugal has been undergoing
a major economic crisis in the last few years that has also affected the middle class, so it is very relevant to consider not only a community that is usually on
the margins of society but also a group that is facing unusual socioeconomic constraints. PAR is usually used among disadvantaged communities (Kesby et
al, 2007; Pain et al, 2007), so we believe it is relevant to consider its use in other contexts. The initial sample comprises a group of 24 young people together
with 15 of their parents/grand parents. However, we will draw on only the sample comprising a young person and one of the family member they live with.
The research started in 2015, with participant observation taking advantage of the implementation of two digital radio projects in each one of the two
communities, and it is also composed of 15 interviews with young people and 15 interviews with parents/s/grandmothers. While preparing the radio
programs the researcher started to get to know personally and to relate specially with some of the young people, as well as some of the relatives, who were
the main participants in the project. In this presentation, we will focus on the connection of both aspects: (1) family digital cultures and understandings
about current events, going beyond a yes or no answer and (2) in that context explore the discussion about the advantages and problems of PAR in these
very different communities. The earlier findings points to some similar uses of the digital media and perceptions on current events and comprehension
of the world among the young people and their parents under the age of 50. However different perspectives were revealed with parents over 50, which
were notably influenced by the years of dictatorship and subsequent Carnation Revolution. Regarding the possibilities of PAR in both contexts, we could say
that it promotes more direct changes in the deprived context in itself and collateral changes or identification of needed changes in the middle class context.
Another reflection that came out was the need to consider how the researcher should act to make the right questions to young people and their older family
pairs and also how to use methods to address the ethical issues of using and accessing information.
PN 231 Combining Participative Elements with Methods for Evaluating Photographs – A Reaction to Limitations of Questionnaires’
and Interviews’ Results
S. Trültzsch-Wijnen1 , P. Sinner1
1 University of Salzburg- Faculty of Communication, Salzburg, Austria
The management of identity, relationships and information have been identified as central motivations and issues related to SNS use (e.g. boyd2008; Ito
etal.2008). In order to (re-)present identity and maintain relationships users present personal information like preferences, personal data and photographs
(see e.g. Taraszow etal2010; Thaddicken/Jers2011, Joinson etal2011). The paper will focus on digital literacy and self exposure regarding the use of photo‑
graphs: Results of a quantitative study in Austria (N=2491, age=10–30) illustrate their particular importance as central elements of identity presentation
and peer communication. Answers reveal high numbers of uploaded photographs and also preferred scenes or motifs (Trültzsch-Wijnen2015). To have
insights into the meaning of particular motifs for the users, additional qualitative interviews were conducted (n=20, age=18–20y.), with the interviewees
recruited from the quantitative sample.These illustrate the desire to self presentation according to group specific codes, but at the same time avoiding over-
staged photos. While interviewees mentioned to avoid embarrassing pictures of themselves, they were browsing for such with their contacts. The limita‑
tions of the method were evident since interviewees had problems to formulate meanings and examples for photos andmotifs: results remained vague with
regard to the specific meanings of such terms like posing, (over-)staging, embarrassing, social integration etc. and their visual meaning in photographs. In
order to overcome this lack of the applied methods, additional steps with visual material were conducted including participative elements. A number of 20
typical photographs (Autenrieth2013, Pscheida/Trültzsch2013) was presented to the interviewees, asking them to find categories for rating the photos
on a continuum between opposing terms. This participative step should make sure to include the probands’ specific meanings. Since these individually
created categories overlapped widely, comparable semantic differentials could be created. These were the basis for evaluating each photograph, according
to at least 15 opposite pairs (such as authentic, embarrassing etc. both negative and positive). Additionally this process was reflected and evaluated by
the participants (group discussions). Detailed insights into the subjective meaning of certain motifs for self-presentation and peer-communication could
be elaborated. With the opposite pairs as central categories for the semantic differentials coming from participative design, a deeper insight into arrange‑