Feelings of belonging or alienation and social emotional perceptions of immigrant youths in the digital age, in comparison with native-born youths

The purpose of the present study was to characterize the feelings of belonging or alienation and social emotional perceptions of immigrant youths in an age when there are well-developed digital environments granting availability without barriers of time and place. This research is a mixed-method study with emphasis on quantitative research. A total of 559 Israeli adolescents aged 12 to 18 participated in the study, of whom 222 (40%) were immigrants residing for up to four years in the country. To characterize the absorption process experienced by the immigrant youths, we used the life cycle assessment (LCA) mechanism. We identified a 2-class model. The first group, 36% of the immigrant youths who participated in the study, was characterized by a positive feeling regarding their experience of the absorption process. Time in the country of absorption (under two years and from two years to four years) did not change their approach to the process they experienced. Immigrant adolescents feel that thanks to the mobile technologies, the translations, databases, numerous applications, and groups on the social networks, they are able to face the challenges and difficulties they encounter in the process of absorption in the new country. We found that the positive process of identity building by immigrant youths in the digital age is a combination of interactions with those who remain in the country of origin and significant interactions in the new society, especially in schools, fostering a sense of belonging, sharing, acceptance, a sense of being needed, and attention, which are likely to create a sense of resilience in immigrant youths.

The findings in the current study (Zilka, 2020)show that immigrant youths make extensive use of mobile technologies, including word translation and word voicing applications to quickly inform them on how to pronounce words correctly. They record words and use automatic translation of the recorded words because they often have difficulty writing the words and feel that the translations help them integrate into society and school. All the youths indicated that they were searching in their native language for information on the Internet about the material taught in class, and looked for material in Wikipedia, such as presentations, images, and videos on topics learned and discussed in class. They noted that they searched for material on online study sites, especially on dedicated sites for new immigrants, where they found learning materials in their native language on topics taught in school. All of the immigrant youths reported taking pictures, scanning material, and using applications to record the teacher during the lesson, recording words they had difficulty understanding in the classroom, recording conversations that took place between students in class or at recess, and more. The students reported taking snapshots of the board, scanning pages from student notebooks, and taking pictures of worksheets that must remain in the classroom.