Social media in the context of social control and surveillance: The example of high school students

The historical development of communication tools has led to profound changes in societal structures and has been extensively discussed by thinkers throughout various periods. The discovery and widespread adoption of traditional mass communication tools played a significant role in the transition to the information society, often debated for their contributions to surveillance activities. Technological inventions have deeply impacted the production, distribution, and access to information, while also reshaping social structures and power relationships. This process has been pivotal in the technological and social evolution of communication tools. This thesis aims to examine the social media usage habits and surveillance awareness of final-year high school students enrolled in selective schools in Uşak. The study was conducted among students from Fevzi Çakmak Imam Hatip Project High School, Ertuğrul Gazi Imam Hatip Project High School, Science High School, Şehit Abdülkadir Kılavuz Anatolian Teacher High School, and Uşak Turkey Chambers and Stock Exchanges Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. The research seeks to understand participants' use of social media, platform preferences, and perceptions of surveillance, thereby highlighting their awareness within the context of societal control. According to the research findings, the majority of participants heavily use social media platforms on a daily basis, with Instagram being the most frequently preferred platform. Participants generally believe they are sensitive about privacy and consciously understand the significant impact of legal consequences in their use of social media. However, most participants also believe that their social media accounts are not monitored. This study provides a significant perspective on how young people's social media usage habits and surveillance perceptions shape their understanding of societal control and digital privacy issues. The results underscore not only the widespread use of social media platforms among youth but also how surveillance and security concerns influence this usage. Keywords: Surveillance, Social Control, Social Media