In this report we have analyzed how youth in Bodø, Norway is exposed to extreme content on Instagram and TikTok and how they handle it. We have applied a mixed methods approach with focus groups interviews with youth and a netnography of Instagrram and TikTok.
The conclusion is clear: Young people in Bodø are exposed to a high degree of violations, bullying, and extreme content on social media. Social media amplifies the pressure on vulnerable groups in Bodø, and this particularly applies to Sami people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of immigrant background. Young men are exposed to glorification of violence and degradation of women. Young women are exposed to self-harm. What they share is a feeling that extreme content is unavoidable.
