UNGDOMAR OCH MYNDIGHETSINFORMATION. En kvalitativ intervjustudie om att nå ut till tonårspojkar i ett digitalt medielandskap

Abstract

This study aims to examine how the Swedish youth relate to information from public authorities. It was conducted on behalf of Västra Götalandsregionen, with the purpose of identifying how they can better communicate in an ever-changing digital media landscape. Today's youth have grown up with different circumstances regarding media consumption compared to previous generations. From the perspective of public authorities, this shift requires adapting their communication strategies from traditional methods to digital approaches, in order to reach the intended audience. Authorities must also compete with algorithms and increased selective media exposure, particularly to engage with the younger generation, which is especially important in the case of teenage boys, who may be more prone to gravitating toward extreme groups or viewpoints based on the content they interact with online. This issue highlights the relevance of research for future public communication strategies. To accomplish our study we decided to conduct group interviews with teenage boys. The participants consisted of eight boys aged 16-17. With our chosen method we reached a deeper understanding in their reasoning and opinions regarding how they prefer to receive information from public authorities. The results were analysed in relation to previous research on this topic, as well as our chosen theories which include Uses and Gratification, Information-seeking repertoires and Filter Bubbles. There are three core questions on which the thesis is based. The first addresses the participants' need for information, by investigating their general awareness and trust in public authorities, and Västa Götalandsregionen in particular. The second investigates how the participants access public authority information, by analysing their media habits. The third and final question explores how our participants prefer to be addressed in public authority communication, focusing on the tone of voice, language and format. Our findings indicate a high level of trust in both Swedish authorities and Västra Götalandsregionen, despite a limited knowledge of their actual functions. The participants mainly consume such information passively, primarily through social media. In general the participants consider themselves well informed regarding the information they require. Whether or not they engage with the information largely depends on whether they find it relevant to oneself. According to the participants the information should be formal, clear and not resemble advertising in order to capture their attention. The results show that the participants want authorities to adapt to their media habits, but not to the content in their feeds. This study contributes new knowledge to the relatively unexplored field of public authority communication regarding youth, offering deeper insights into how teenage boys interpret and engage with such information in a digital media landscape. Our findings enhance the understanding of how young people’s media habits influence their reception of official messages, and what factors determine their receptiveness. The study provides a foundation for further research in the field as well as practical applications for public authorities. It also highlights the need for future research involving teenage girls.