Social networks: uses and purposes in young people from the amazon and orinoco regions of colombia

Abstract

This document reports the results of a research proposed with the aim of analyzing the uses and purposes that young people in the Colombian Amazon and Orinoquia give to devices, social networks and instant messaging applications. This is a study with a quantitative approach, descriptive design and cross-sectional. 516 young people of both sexes, between 14 and 28 years old, living in seven departments of Colombia participated. An ad hoc questionnaire- type instrument was applied, consisting of 25 items. The results indicate that, of the total participants, 67 % access social networks and instant messaging applications daily and 24,4 % access four or five times a week. The young people who consult them the most are those from Guainía, Guaviare and Amazonas, respectively; women more often than men; those aged 18 to 22, followed by those aged 23 to 28; and those with postgraduate, technology and professional studies. Facebook Instagram, Youtube and WhatsApp are the most consulted social networks and applications, respectively, especially for social, educational and leisure or fun purposes. These results are of importance, given that it is young people who have the greatest impact on the processes of social transformation through the new technological platforms for communication on the digital network.