The WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt is pleased to announce a new publication from our team. Titled “Social Media Use Among Migrants,” the study offers a practical and scientifically grounded examination of how people with a migration background use digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook to inform themselves, find their bearings, and support one another in a self-organized manner outside of official structures.
Based on a literature review and qualitative group interviews with immigrants from Saxony-Anhalt, the paper offers insights into their digital realities. It becomes clear that for many, social media is a central gateway to information regarding arrival, work, education, health, and residency—especially when institutional services are insufficient or difficult to access.
The study poses important questions for the future ofcounseling: How can counseling competencies be further developed to better align with the target groups’ everyday digital practices? What opportunities do formats such as messenger-based counseling or digital streetwork offer—particularly when working with vulnerable groups such as refugees?
The paper provides well-founded insights and concrete recommendationsfor action for professionals in counseling, education, and integration, thereby offering valuable impetus for the professionalization of migration-sensitive, digitally supported counseling work.
The study was published as an “f-bb Working Paper,” a publication format of the Research Institute for Corporate Education (f-bb) gGmbH.
Click here for the publication.
We have summarized the key findings for you in the guide “Digital Media Use by Migrants – Recommendations for Counseling Work.”
