In this exploratory study, we analyzed how the intersections between YouTube, Roblox, and hashtags facilitate circulation of sexual content in digital participatory cultures. Guided by literature on digital childhood, sexualization in video games, and children's well-being as well as theories of networked publics and platform affordances, we used Unified Discourse Analysis to understand how sexuality is narratively represented in popular Roblox YouTube sus videos. We conducted an exploratory critical textual analysis of the characters, narratives, visual syntax, and audio of the ten most popular videos. The preliminary findings suggest that these videos appear to be designed to circulate among, or appeal to, child audiences. We discuss the implications within the participatory media ecology of children's media, exploring how platforms like YouTube and Roblox commodify content by making use of children's curiosity about sexuality to shape their social and sexual experiences through the circulation of hashtags such as sus.
Masculinity content on TikTok is rapidly reshaping young men's identities, health and relationships, yet how young men perceive and navigate this content remains poorly understood. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 142 young men aged 16–25 (Mage = 18.85, SD = 2.64) from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Thematic analysis of open-text responses generated two themes: A Blueprint for Masculine Self-Development, capturing young men's simultaneous aspiration toward, and critique of, masculinity self-improvement narratives; and Navigating Manosphere Ideologies, reflecting how young men engage with, interrogate or reject masculinist ideologies embedded within mainstream content. Findings reveal a dynamic process of critical appraisal, weighing perceived benefits against ideological harm. This carries significant implications for health promotion and digital policy: Evidence-informed approaches are needed that leverage young men's desire for self-improvement, address unmet psychosocial needs, encourage accountability and embed digital literacy and ideological safeguarding into digital places of meaning.
This study explores how young people with previous experience of being in a NEET situation describe their motivation and expectations for serving as mentors for peers who are not in education, employment, or training. Using a qualitative, inductive design, five mentors aged 18–24 participated in individual in-depth interviews before beginning mentor training. Thematic analysis identified two overarching themes: Inspiring meaning for others and oneself and Providing support fosters resilience and growth. Mentors expressed a strong desire to use their experiences to support others through empathy, acceptance, and relatable guidance. They emphasised the importance of offering the support they had once needed. At the same time, they anticipated challenges related to emotional strain, trauma, and maintaining boundaries, highlighting the need for trust, teamwork, and supervision. The findings suggest that peer mentoring may benefit both mentors and young people in a NEET situation when supported by structured collaborative frameworks.
Vocational students face distinctive mental health challenges associated with academic demands and the transition to employment, yet evidence on how school-based mental health promotion is implemented in vocational education remains limited. This study explored how the Healthy School Movement (HSM/GSS) was implemented to promote student mental health in three Indonesian vocational schools. A qualitative exploratory case study was conducted using semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis with 16 participants. Reflexive thematic analysis identified five interconnected themes concerning understandings of mental health, implementation practices, behavioural changes, systemic challenges, and recommendations. The findings suggest that mental health promotion is shaped through reciprocal interactions between institutional conditions and everyday social practices rather than programme implementation alone. These findings extend understanding of whole-school mental health promotion in vocational education and highlight the importance of context-sensitive institutional support for strengthening adolescent mental health in resource-constrained school settings.
In recent years, European adolescents have been increasingly exposed to news and social media content about armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions. Although most are not directly involved, repeated exposure to such threatening information may shape future-oriented thinking, with implications for mental health and school functioning. This study examines whether conflict-related future perspectives are associated with school avoidance through depressive symptoms, and whether perceived support within the school environment moderates these associations. Participants were 754 preadolescents and adolescents from the Republic of San Marino (Mage = 12.59, SD = 1.33; 52% girls). Moderated mediation analyses showed that conflict-related future perspectives were positively associated with school avoidance, partly via higher depressive symptoms. Peer support buffered this pathway, weakening the link between depressive symptoms and school avoidance, whereas teacher support did not show a significant effect. These findings highlight peer support as a key target for preventing school avoidance among emotionally distressed students.
