S preferred to focus `on the positives and examine on the APO866 custom synthesis internet opportunities’ (2009, p. 152), rather than investigating potential dangers. By contrast, the empirical analysis on young people’s use on the internet within the social work field is sparse, and has focused on how best to mitigate online dangers (Fursland, 2010, 2011; May-Chahal et al., 2012). This includes a rationale because the dangers posed by way of new technologies are far more probably to be evident in the lives of young people today receiving social operate assistance. For instance, evidence with regards to child sexual exploitation in groups and gangs indicate this as an SART.S23503 issue of important concern in which new technology plays a function (Beckett et al., 2013; Berelowitz et al., 2013; CEOP, 2013). Victimisation often occurs each on the web and offline, and the method of exploitation is often initiated through on the net contact and grooming. The knowledge of sexual exploitation is usually a gendered 1 whereby the vast majority of victims are girls and young women and the perpetrators male. Young people today with encounter from the care program are also notably over-represented in current information relating to kid sexual exploitation (OCC, 2012; CEOP, 2013). Investigation also suggests that young people today who have knowledgeable prior abuse offline are far more susceptible to on the net grooming (May-Chahal et al., 2012) and there is certainly considerable experienced anxiety about unmediated speak to between looked soon after young children and adopted young children and their birth households via new technology (Fursland, 2010, 2011; Sen, 2010).Not All which is Solid Melts into Air?Responses need careful consideration, having said that. The exact connection involving on line and offline vulnerability still wants to be much better understood (Livingstone and Palmer, 2012) along with the evidence will not assistance an assumption that young individuals with care encounter are, per a0022827 se, at higher risk on-line. Even exactly where there is certainly greater concern about a young person’s safety, recognition is needed that their on line activities will present a complex mixture of dangers and possibilities over which they will exert their own judgement and agency. Further understanding of this issue is dependent upon greater insight into the Finafloxacin site on-line experiences of young men and women getting social operate assistance. This paper contributes for the expertise base by reporting findings from a study exploring the perspectives of six care leavers and 4 looked just after children concerning usually discussed dangers linked with digital media and their own use of such media. The paper focuses on participants’ experiences of utilizing digital media for social speak to.Theorising digital relationsConcerns in regards to the influence of digital technologies on young people’s social relationships resonate with pessimistic theories of individualisation in late modernity. It has been argued that the dissolution of regular civic, community and social bonds arising from globalisation results in human relationships which are far more fragile and superficial (Beck, 1992; Bauman, 2000). For Bauman (2000), life beneath circumstances of liquid modernity is characterised by feelings of `precariousness, instability and vulnerability’ (p. 160). When he is not a theorist from the `digital age’ as such, Bauman’s observations are often illustrated with examples from, or clearly applicable to, it. In respect of internet dating websites, he comments that `unlike old-fashioned relationships virtual relations seem to become produced for the measure of a liquid contemporary life setting . . ., “virtual relationships” are easy to e.S preferred to concentrate `on the positives and examine on line opportunities’ (2009, p. 152), rather than investigating possible risks. By contrast, the empirical analysis on young people’s use of your world-wide-web within the social perform field is sparse, and has focused on how best to mitigate on-line dangers (Fursland, 2010, 2011; May-Chahal et al., 2012). This includes a rationale because the dangers posed via new technology are more likely to be evident inside the lives of young people receiving social function help. One example is, evidence regarding child sexual exploitation in groups and gangs indicate this as an SART.S23503 challenge of substantial concern in which new technology plays a function (Beckett et al., 2013; Berelowitz et al., 2013; CEOP, 2013). Victimisation typically occurs each on the internet and offline, and also the process of exploitation may be initiated via online contact and grooming. The practical experience of sexual exploitation is usually a gendered 1 whereby the vast majority of victims are girls and young females plus the perpetrators male. Young folks with knowledge in the care technique are also notably over-represented in current data regarding child sexual exploitation (OCC, 2012; CEOP, 2013). Research also suggests that young folks who have knowledgeable prior abuse offline are a lot more susceptible to on the web grooming (May-Chahal et al., 2012) and there is certainly considerable qualified anxiousness about unmediated contact in between looked soon after youngsters and adopted young children and their birth families by means of new technologies (Fursland, 2010, 2011; Sen, 2010).Not All that is definitely Solid Melts into Air?Responses demand cautious consideration, however. The precise partnership among on the internet and offline vulnerability nonetheless wants to be better understood (Livingstone and Palmer, 2012) and the proof does not support an assumption that young individuals with care encounter are, per a0022827 se, at greater risk on the net. Even where there is certainly higher concern about a young person’s security, recognition is needed that their on the net activities will present a complicated mixture of risks and possibilities more than which they are going to exert their own judgement and agency. Further understanding of this challenge is determined by higher insight into the on the internet experiences of young people receiving social work support. This paper contributes for the information base by reporting findings from a study exploring the perspectives of six care leavers and four looked following youngsters relating to commonly discussed risks linked with digital media and their own use of such media. The paper focuses on participants’ experiences of applying digital media for social contact.Theorising digital relationsConcerns concerning the influence of digital technologies on young people’s social relationships resonate with pessimistic theories of individualisation in late modernity. It has been argued that the dissolution of regular civic, community and social bonds arising from globalisation leads to human relationships which are additional fragile and superficial (Beck, 1992; Bauman, 2000). For Bauman (2000), life under circumstances of liquid modernity is characterised by feelings of `precariousness, instability and vulnerability’ (p. 160). Though he is not a theorist of the `digital age’ as such, Bauman’s observations are regularly illustrated with examples from, or clearly applicable to, it. In respect of net dating web-sites, he comments that `unlike old-fashioned relationships virtual relations look to become created towards the measure of a liquid contemporary life setting . . ., “virtual relationships” are effortless to e.