The Future of Education

The rapid expansion of social media use continues to shape communication, education, and society at large, raising persistent questions about its pedagogical, psychological, and ethical implications. Building on last year’s investigation into teachers’ reflections on the informational and educational dimensions of social media [1], this follow-up study examines how a new cohort of participants in the Nord University course Informational and Educational Aspects of Social Media engages with these issues. As in the previous study, participants produced reflective blog posts as part of their coursework, and content analysis was used to identify recurring themes, concerns, and potential shifts in perspective. In line with last year’s findings—where “Problematic Social Media Use” and concerns about youth mental health dominated reflections—this year’s data continues to foreground the same thematic focus. Social media’s influence on youth mental health remains a central point of concern. A comparison of the two cohorts reveals no substantive shift in professional concerns among Norwegian teachers, suggesting a stable pattern of perceived challenges across consecutive years and indicating that the profession’s underlying stressors and role demands remain largely unchanged.Taken together, these findings point to a consistent set of pedagogical needs. The stability of teachers’ concerns underscores the importance of strengthening course components that address critical digital literacy and AI‑augmented content ecosystems. By responding directly to the issues that persist across cohorts, the study contributes to ongoing discussions about how teacher education can more effectively prepare professionals to navigate the complexities of social media use in contemporary educational environments.

Key words: Problematic social media use, youth mental health, teachers’ perspectives, critical digital literacy

REFERENCES: Godejord, B. J., & Bojanic, I. (2025). Teachers’ perspectives on social media: Reflections from the educational frontline. In Proceedings of The Future of Education Conference. Filodritto Editore Italia.