Distant Mirrors: Reflections of Authoritative Rule in the Facebook Posting Habits of Syrian Refugees in Europe

• In Event: 2164 - Internet and Society: Connection and Integration

Abstract

This mixed-method study comprised of, 1) content analysis, 2) in-depth interviews and 3) questionnaire, focuses on the social media habits of Syrian refugees who migrated to Europe between 2012-2015. Grounded theory was utilized to analyze in-depth interviews, which identified eight dependent variables, that were then measured by a self-administered, online questionnaire. Eighty two percent (N=53) of questionnaire respondents confirmed a change in Facebook posting habits after migrating to Europe. The study findings indicate a break from the common Millennial pattern of maintaining a social-media persona among Syrian refugees in Europe. Instead altered posting habits suggest an increased move towards greater privacy online that may be indicative of; altered trajectories of life goals, depression, a lack of confidence in the efficacy of social media as a medium of change, and a means of avoiding the Syrian state’s censorship apparatus. However instant messaging and private/secret groups remain popular and mimic older Syrian social networks, jama’iya, that migrated onto the internet that may be serving as an instrument of self-integration.

Author

• Anisa A Abeytia, East Los Angeles College