Are you one of those parents worried because your children have always their smartphone in the hands, busy chatting with WhatsApp? Well don’t be, since a recent study showed that the popular Facebook-owned instant messaging app not only helps teenagers form closer relationships, but actually allows them to better express themselves.
According to a recent study carried out by Israel’s University of Haifa, class WhatsApp groups really help young people to better express themselves in ways that school doesn’t allow. The study was based on the fact that nowadays young people across the world use WhatsApp (but not only, there are several other successful instant messaging app) as a way of interpersonal communication.
We all know very well that our youths spend many, maybe too many, hours alone in their rooms, especially in the evening and during the night, chatting with their contacts, who could be real or just virtual friends.
And talking about the survey, that’s what Arie Kizel from University of Haifa said to nocamels.com on Sunday: “The discussions on Whatsapp enable the development of a social environment that is warm and human,” adding that “The group chats are based on trust among the members of the group, and this enhances the possibility to be in contact,“.
The survey monitored two groups of eight teenagers aged 16-17 and two groups of eight youths aged 14-15. The result was that the teenagers felt WhatsApp group as a free space, where there aren’t anymore the hierarchical division created at school.
That’s the description of WhatsApp given by one of the students: “a place where there is respect for language and where all those involved share common terms and signs.” Another student said that “On WhatsApp, I usually feel that I am not being judged, particularly because there isn’t any eye contact or physical contact, only words and signs. So I feel more intimacy and security,”.
The comment of another participant was that “In the WhatsApp group, everyone can talk to everyone else. WhatsApp breaks down the walls we put up between us in class. The WhatsApp group is like a class team-building day,”