Leveraging the Use of Publicly Available Social Media Posts for Sensitive Adolescent Research: Methodological Insights

Adolescent research concerning sensitive topics presents unique challenges due to the complexities of navigating ethical considerations and establishing trust within this population. In contrast, this paper proposes a methodology that leverages existing online content produced by adolescents and posted on social media platforms for data collection and qualitative analysis. Drawing upon our previous work with female adolescents who had intimate images disclosed on the internet without their consent and later responded with online videos of the experience, we present these cases as case studies to support our arguments. We report on the following advantages of adolescents using online platforms as a space for self-expression and data collection for research: (i) a safe place to report and share adverse experiences, (ii) the possibility of editing posted videos, and (iii) the authenticity and spontaneity of adolescents. The challenges and limitations, in terms of methodological and ethical issues, are also discussed.