CLICKS AND KNOWLEDGE: EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND ADOLESCENT PERCEPTIONS OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Abstract

Social media has become an important source of information for adolescents, including reproductive health issues. However, the influence of social media use on adolescents’ perceptions remains unclear, since the duration of use does not always reflect the quality of information received. This study aimed to examine the relationship between social media usage and adolescents’ perceptions of reproductive health. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional design was conducted involving 50 adolescents from Senior High School Muhammadiyah 1 Bandung. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with the chi-square test. The results showed that 70% of respondents had a good perception and 30% had a poor perception of reproductive health. Most adolescents (88%) reported social media use of less than 3.33 hours per day, while 12% used it for more than 3.33 hours. Statistical analysis indicated no significant relationship between the duration of social media use and perceptions of reproductive health (p = 0.849). These findings highlight that adolescents’ perceptions are influenced more by the quality and credibility of information than by the length of time spent online. Strengthening digital literacy and providing accurate, youth-friendly content are essential to optimize social media for reproductive health promotion.