Digital technology is increasingly used and widespread in associations. The value of these digital tools lies in particular in how they meet the needs and missions of each association, in terms of diversifying their communication channels. Associations are thus learning to adapt their communication to the characteristics and features of each social medium.
This post looks at how Génération numérique, APHEE and CEMÉA de Basse-Normandie, which run screen education activities, use social media. These associations create Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Instagram accounts, Google+ accounts and/or YouTube channels. Preventing and fighting cyberbullying is one of the topics addressed in these activities. Here, the use of these social media appears paradoxical, since these associations use them as a tool for the fight while regarding them as a “vector” of risks and vulnerability. The forms of self-control these associations put in place can appear as an example of measured communication for the target audiences, who use these media extensively.
These four associations use these social media to inform, share and run a “self-centred” community combining functional communication (based on marketing principles) with relational communication (based on participation and awareness-raising). However, these associations need to question their use of digital technology in their project (use, objectives, choice of social medium, etc.).
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Cécile Dolbeau-Bandin, ATER in the 71st section at the University of Caen, is a researcher at CERReV