SOCIAL MEDIA AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: A SURVEY ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN TURKEY

Abstract

Freedom of expression is one of the most important foundational elements of individual realization and democratic society. Social media is the current most preferred and primary form of communication for young people. Social media is thus a crucial component of young people's freedom of expression. On the other hand, social media offers a platform for disinformation, violations of privacy and hate speech. This survey aims to explore how young people exercise their freedom of expression and how they respond to abuses on social media. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey with Turkish university students is used in conjunction with an in-depth interview technique. The research will collect data on the familiarity of students about the definition and content of the freedom of expression, and use of social media by students, and the findings will be analyzed with the results of in-depth interviews.