Presence of social networks in youth's free time

Free time is one of the important factors in the personality development of children and young people, because it gives them the opportunity to express their creative powers and satisfy their interests and needs. The new millennium represents a turning point in various areas of the development of society and civilization, in which information technologies and digital media have a very important role. Due to easy availability, quick information and quick access, almost no person, especially young people, can imagine their everyday life without them. The influence of the media on modern man begins to happen from the earliest age, for this reason, this topic deserves more space in the pedagogical theory. The aim of the paper is to point out the different ways of using social networks in the free time of young people, as well as the role of the family as the nucleus of society in guiding young people to spend their free time as qualitatively and creatively as possible. The conclusion of the paper is that young people spend most of their free time with different media because they find content, symbols and confirmation of the times in which they live. For this reason, it is very important that the information and content used by young people through the media be relevant, encourage young people to think critically and, above all, be safe to use. Therefore, the family, society, school, as well as state authorities have a great responsibility in supporting and creating information literacy among young people.