An exploration of post-primary guidance counsellors’ professional experiences of supporting students’ wellbeing in the context of the current social media culture

The overall aim of this qualitative research study is to explore the post-primary guidance counsellors’ professional experiences of supporting students’ wellbeing in the context of the current social media culture. Social media use is proceeding at an accelerated pace with implications on adolescents’ wellbeing and further extrapolations for Irish post-primary guidance counsellors. The researcher considered a gap in research relating to the provision of supporting adolescent wellbeing in the context of social media from an Irish post-primary guidance councillors’ perspective. This study explores post-primary guidance counsellors’ perceptions of adolescent wellbeing amid social media use. The literature review will focus on the areas of social media, adolescent wellbeing, guidance counselling, and supporting adolescent wellbeing. Proceeding the literature review, an interpretivist qualitative paradigm was employed to explore post-primary guidance counsellors’ professional experiences. Semi-structured telephone interviews facilitated the flexible and insightful collation of data towards an underresearched area from six post-primary guidance counsellors practicing in the midland’s region of Ireland. The findings of the research suggest that guidance counsellors play a pivotal role in supporting adolescents’ wellbeing within the post-primary education sector. The findings also suggest that adolescents’ use of social media has posed ramifications on guidance counsellors’ role and their endeavour to support wellbeing. Consequently, many post-primary guidance counsellors may require additional support in the form of CPD and school policies to enhance their practice. Finally, a number of policy, practice and research recommendations are put forward and the strengths and limitations of this study are considered.