The background of how young people choose communities

Abstract

THE AIM OF THE PAPER

Economic decision-makers and social researchers pay special attention to young people, various studies and analyzes are prepared, but it is very difficult to define the characteristics of this specific period of life, which is full of twists and turns. This segment is interesting because it is typically a period of life when the feeling of responsibility for others is less, and as a result, this is reflected in the purchases, the life organization, and thus also in social life. In addition, of course, young people are also under pressure, but the bigger trials of life are still ahead of them.

The demarcation of individual age groups and generations, and the way it is done, has been a concern of researchers for a long time. In this study, we describe a slice of the world of young people, in this case 16-24-year-olds, the operational characteristics of their leisure communities and scenes using the results of two samples.

METHODOLOGY

In March 2022, we conducted a survey on a nationally representative sample of the target group (16-24 year olds) of 600 people, as well as a sample of 1000 young people interested in the scenes reached with the help of social media. Our research question is whether closer belonging to communities results in a positive effect. In our work, we investigate the satisfaction of young people, some of their values, their participation in online and offline communities, and their belonging to presumed lifestyle groups.

MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS

We found that significant differences can be discovered in the results of the two samples, basically in favor of those belonging to the communities. It is an instructive result for the profession that the stereotypical image of the young generation needs nuance, besides the attractive and high-tech groups there are also groups with other behaviors that can be described by characteristics, it is important to take reality into account when planning.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We also see that due to the more difficult accessibility of this target group, it may be recommended to approach and examine them with other methods, even prioritizing new online solutions.

Acknowledgments: The research in this paper was supported by the project called ‘EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00007- Young researchers from talented students – Fostering scientific careers in higher education’.