A study by the University of East Anglia has found that using social media could benefit young people in care, helping them to maintain healthy and appropriate relationships with their birth families, and making the transition to independence easier. The study, published in the British Journal of Social Work, found that digital networks help young people to build relationships and reduce their feelings of isolation – and that this can continue once they leave care. The study authors have recommended that social work policy and practice should start to look at how connections via social media can benefit young people when they are in care, and that social networks need to be viewed as an important resource for psychosocial support.
Social media could help young people in care
