This study maps adolescents’ motivations for using the various social media platforms they commonly inhabit. Through an ethnographic approach grounded in the principles of short-term ethnography, we conducted fieldwork in three educational institutions located in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, within the framework of the Transmedia Gender & LGBTI+ Literacy (TRANSGELIT) project. Based on the analysis, we identified seven primary motivations: entertainment, getting knowledge, managing emotions, establishing social interactions, making economic transactions, creating digital self-image, and getting access. These categories were refined a posteriori into more specific sub-categories, which provided a more nuanced understanding of adolescent media practices. This study aims to update the findings of Uses and Gratifications (U&G) research conducted in recent years within digital contexts, offering a comprehensive exploration of the media ecosystem and the different platforms used by young people today.
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