The Experience of Absorption of New Immigrant Adolescents in the Digital Age, as Perceived by Mentors Who Work With Them From a Social-Emotional Point of View

Abstract

Immigration of adolescents involves multiple, many-faceted changes. This study examined the experience of absorption of adolescents in Israel, in the digital age, through the eyes of mentors who work with them, from the mentors’ social-emotional perspective of themselves and of their students. In this mixed-method study, 122 mentors completed questionnaires with closed and open-ended questions, and wrote extensively about their difficulties. The findings show that most mentors (66%) worked hard to make their students part of the social fabric. Some of the mentors (34%) encountered problems resulting from misunderstandings and poor communication because of language difficulties and lack of control over pragmatic aspects in a sociocultural context. They strove to raise social awareness in the adolescents through observation, and to provide tools for reading and responding to behaviors, all the while encouraging social involvement. Mentors thought that digital environments helped them and the adolescents in their coping. Thanks to digital environments, especially smartphones, adolescents were able to blend into their new environment. Translation, databases, numerous applications, and groups on social networks respond to their needs and help with difficulties they encounter in real time, creating a sense of social connection and belonging.