Research on Current Risks Among Young People as Users of Social Networks

Introduction

Social networks are central to young people's communication, socialisation and access to information, but they also create rapidly changing risks affecting mental health, privacy, relationships, behaviour and personal safety. This report was developed as the first analytical output of the Erasmus+ project Prevention of Youth Risky Viral Trends and provides the evidence base for subsequent work on prevention methods, methodology and a practical handbook.

Aim

To identify, analyse and systematise current risks associated with social-network use among young people aged 14–29 and determine which risk categories are most significant across the four partner countries.

Design and methods

The study combines three analytical perspectives: theoretical evidence from recent international literature; empirical evidence from national studies, projects and statistics in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Poland and Austria; and an international survey conducted in 2023 using a common questionnaire.

The total sample comprised 392 young people: 276 from Bulgaria, 31 from North Macedonia, 41 from Poland and 44 from Austria. The common instrument allowed country-level analysis and comparative synthesis.

Bulgaria: risk awareness and lived experience

Among the 276 Bulgarian respondents, approximately 93% were aged 14–18 and about 7% were aged 19–29. 90% recognised the existence of rapidly spreading risky online trends, and 74% believed social networks have a negative effect on young people's lives and well-being.

The most widely recognised risks, each identified by roughly 70–80% of participants, were cyberbullying, theft of personal and financial data (phishing), fake news/disinformation and internet addiction. Risks with medium recognition included encounters with strangers, sensitive content, reduced concentration, dangerous online challenges and negative effects on self-esteem. Social isolation, negative role models/influencers and distortion of values were recognised less frequently.

30% reported personal exposure to one or more risks, 12% had observed such exposure among friends or acquaintances, and 58% denied direct experience. Frequently described experiences included addiction, cyberbullying and reduced self-esteem.

Protective knowledge: the gap between perceived and demonstrated competence

Approximately 74% of Bulgarian respondents initially stated that they knew methods of protection, whereas 26% reported no such knowledge. However, when asked to name concrete methods, only 202 of 276 responded; 97 could not identify a specific method and 105 provided at least one concrete action.

When non-response was included, the authors estimated that about 62% lacked practical knowledge of internet-safety methods, while only about 38% could identify specific protective actions. Of those who named methods, 63 young people (65%) mentioned only one and 32 (35%) mentioned two; no participant listed more than two. 78% considered a specialised risk-prevention methodology useful.

Cross-country findings

In North Macedonia, around 90% recognised risky viral trends and 74% perceived negative effects on well-being. Internet addiction was the dominant experienced risk, representing 77% of reported risk experiences. Only about 39% claimed to know protective methods, and just 3 of 31 participants could provide adequate concrete examples.

In Poland, around 70% reported that they were unfamiliar with protective methods, although concrete responses included rejecting requests from strangers (51.2%), checking for mutual contacts (39%) and avoiding publication of personal information (39%). Frequently experienced risks included negative role models/influencers (52%), sensitive content (48%), social isolation (44%) and interactions with strangers (44%).

In Austria, 98% recognised risky rapidly spreading online trends and 91% reported negative effects of social media on young people's well-being. Fake news/disinformation and internet addiction were each identified by 84.1%. 50% reported personally experiencing at least one listed risk, and about 60% had observed similar experiences among people close to them.

Integrated hierarchy of current risks

The final synthesis combines theoretical, national empirical and survey evidence. The theoretical review identified 49 publications concerning cross-sectoral risks, 37 behavioural risks, 32 contact risks, 28 content risks and 19 contractual/commercial risks.

The resulting comparative ranking was: 1) contact risks — 2.67; 2) cross-sectoral risks — 2.56; 3) behavioural risks — 2.44; 4) content-related risks — 2.00; 5) contractual risks — 1.25.

Internet addiction was the only risk consistently among the most frequently identified in all four countries. Sensitive content, fake news/disinformation, cyberbullying and negative role models/influencers were prominent in three countries; phishing, reduced self-esteem, concentration problems, stranger contact and dangerous online challenges were prominent in two.

Main contributions

• integrates literature, national evidence and a common four-country survey;
• provides a concrete multinational sample of 392 young people;
• distinguishes general risk awareness from practical protective competence;
• demonstrates a substantial gap between self-reported knowledge and the ability to name effective safety behaviours;
• develops a comparative hierarchy of risk categories to support prevention priorities;
• provides the empirical basis for subsequent prevention research, methodology and youth-worker guidance.

Conclusions and practical relevance

Young people are broadly aware of highly visible online risks, but awareness does not reliably translate into systematic knowledge or stable protective skills. The discrepancy between claimed knowledge and the ability to describe concrete protective behaviour is particularly important.

The findings support targeted education in digital and media literacy, critical thinking, personal-data protection, safe communication and management of the psychosocial consequences of intensive social-media use. The results are directly relevant to youth workers, educators, parents, psychologists and organisations designing digital-safety interventions.

Scientific Key Terms