Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of the face-to-face (FTF) and online friendship experiences, and the sense of connectedness of Gen Z adolescents. The adolescents who participated in the study had been subjected to social closures during the COVID period, which periodically prevented them from meeting their friends FTF. Six hundred seventeen adolescents aged 14-17 participated in the study, 65% of them male. Data for the quantitative study were collected in Israel in 2022-2023. The findings indicate that most adolescents regarded FTF communication and online communication to be part of their natural environment, with preference for the most appropriate medium according to the need at hand and the characteristics of the medium. Most study participants indicated FTF communication as the preferred way to express emotions and feelings, more so than online communication. The adolescents believed that conversations about emotions and feelings were safer and more protected in FTF communication than online.

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