THE PHENOMENON OF ILLEGAL MIGRATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS: A FIELD STUDY ON A SAMPLE OF ADOLESCENTS IN THE CITY OF GHARDAIA, ALGERIA

Abstract

     The phenomenon of illegal migration among youth in the city of Ghardaia, Algeria, is a social problem with significant psychological and social implications, especially in the age of information technology. Through the use of social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, which are the most widely used communication channels, young people may become more susceptible to imitating and simulating behaviours related to the phenomenon of illegal migration. This may have an impact on their psychological and social needs, posing a risk to the psychological and social fabric of the community. The research question is: How do young people in Ghardaia City use social media platforms for illegal migration and how does this affect their psychological and social needs? The hypothesis is that excessive exposure of youth to social media platforms may increase their tendency to imitate and simulate migration behaviours, affecting their self-esteem and professional stability. To collect data, a field study was conducted on a sample of Algerian youth in relation to illegal migration to Europe. The results of the study show that excessive viewing of YouTube videos depicting successful migration experiences among adolescents has increased imitation of adventurous and exploratory behaviours by 45%.In addition, communication via Facebook has led to a 66.51% simulation rate among young people seeking similar experiences. The results highlight a new technological dimension to the phenomenon of migration, namely imitation and simulation through social media platforms. It represents a mixture of organic and artificial societies, resulting in an "organic-artificial" community. The study also reveals a desire for migration to fulfil self-esteem and socio-professional needs.