A Phenomenological Analysis of Fears and Hopes of Tehran Youth in Interaction with Social Networks
Keywords:
Social Hope, Fears, Phenomenological Analysis, Lived experience, Students, TehranAbstract
This study aims to explore and interpret the lived experience of hope and fear among university students in Tehran in their interaction with social media from a phenomenological perspective. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through 35 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 29 students and 6 experts in social sciences and communication. Data were analyzed based on Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis model. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Credibility was ensured through participant validation and constant comparison techniques. The findings revealed that hope among Tehran students is a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon rooted in learning, faith, self-development, and moral action. Fears primarily stem from economic instability, social pressure, media-driven comparison, and institutional distrust. Students cope with these challenges by employing strategies such as limiting social media exposure, focusing on learning and creativity, civic engagement, and spirituality. Their lived experience represents a dialectic of resistance and meaning-making within Tehran’s socio-digital environment. Hope for the young generation in Tehran is not merely an emotional state but a cognitive-social mechanism for maintaining meaning amid instability. Despite pervasive fears, students reconstruct an intrinsic and resilient form of hope. The results carry policy implications for enhancing psychological resilience, institutional trust, and media literacy education among youth.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Fataneh Bidar Aghjehkandi (Author); Ali Akbar Farhangi (Corresponding author); Afsaneh Mozaffari, Jamaluddin Tabibi (Author)
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