Paper short abstract:

The covid-19 pandemic and the digitization of western societies have caused a reconfiguration of fieldwork in fields of study such as youth leisure. Using the case of an Spanish digital ethnography our experience has led us to think it is necessary to rethink "being there" in digital spaces.

Paper long abstract:

The covid-19 pandemic and the digitization of western societies have caused a reconfiguration of fieldwork in fields of study such as youth leisure. We rethink a Spanish digital ethnography with the objective to study youth identity and alcohol use in Instagram carried out in fieldwork undertaken from January to December 2021. Overall, we held 13 discussion groups, an observation period of 50 open Instagram accounts and 38 in-depth interviews of young people.

The total sample, purposive in nature, comprises 118 participants from two age groups (15-18 and 19-24 years old) and diverse profiles. Spaces, times and gaining confidence in fieldwork are some of the aspects to rethink in our experience. In relation with "spaces", due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the different types of public health restrictions it entailed, the fieldwork took place both, online and offline. We gained access to the population through snowballing, mainly using informal networks and access to the education system.

This investigation shows that Instagram fosters the spreading of an ideal model of "alcohol consumption". In our case, we had to generate new forms of online communication that could potentially establish trust relationships with our interviewees and subjects of study. Experience has led us to think that in order to gain confidence in these new online contexts where the action takes place, it is necessary to rethink "being there" since social networks become sources of data, but also research instruments in themselves.