Research Information System
Media International Australia, vol.199, no.1 Feature topic: uncovering youth-driven digital practices in a fluid and adaptive world, pp.199-216, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
Digital platforms have reshaped childhood socialisation by redirecting role model preferences towards online content creators. This shift necessitates a re-examination of socialisation processes, particularly in non-Western contexts where algorithmic media intersect with family-based value systems. Drawing on qualitative data from open-ended questionnaires with 100 primary school children in Türkiye, this study examines children's role model choices and underlying motivations. The findings reveal a functional differentiation in children's social worlds. Family members are selected as moral anchors for qualities such as honesty, care, responsibility and compassion. In contrast, digital micro-celebrities are admired for performative and aspirational attributes, including appearance, wealth, popularity and entertainment. These results indicate that digitalisation and media do not result in a wholesale erosion of traditional values but instead produce a negotiated compartmentalisation of moral and aspirational dimensions within children's everyday socialisation.