What counts in adolescence are one's own friends. In the adolescent phase of western cultures, young people begin to detach themselves from their families and slowly move away from the structures they have known up to now. They take their first steps into a life of their own, no longer determined so much by their parents. The opinions of their peers become more and more important. In the adolescent phase, young people are very intensively occupied with finding out who they are and who they want to be. (Hannover, Zander, & Wolter, 2018, pp. 238-239) In this search for their own identity, young people want to try out and stage themselves, and social media can be helpful in this. (Rösch, 2016, pp. 63-64)

Social media becomes an increasingly important role in their development. As Rieke said, "My socialization was significantly influenced by internet acquaintances, (...). The internet is part of my life world, where I don't distinguish between real and virtual life." The virtual world is considered to be just as a part of reality as reality itself. As in all societies, manners develop on social media in terms of decency and rules of politeness.

In friendships among young people, social acts are often carried out through media channels. After receiving such a medial gesture, it is important to react accordingly. (Wampfler, 2014, p. 76 and 89) However, the focus for young people in such exchanges is not on the content. It can be repeated constantly and still not lose its value. Adolescent girls in particular make typical comments to each other such as "Beautiful!", "Heart, heart", or any other approving emoji drooling with admiration. These are not the kind of feedbacks that etiquette would have demanded, because there is no constructive criticism. But why do young people simply push positive comments and messages back and forth? The focus of all these interactions is on the value that these interactions give to young people and their friendships. As Barthes wrote about feedback from fellow human beings, "In the end, is it not rather that I remain dependent on that question to which I tirelessly demand the answer from the face of the other: what am I worth?" (Barthes, 1988, p. 258). The communication that takes place via social media is linked to this value described by Barthes. An interaction confirms that the person and the friendship have value. (Wampfler, 2014, p. 100) As Schönefeldt names it "language without words", it is not about what exactly is being said. The real service belongs to friendship, that is, to effort and care. (Schönfeldt, 1992, p. 20) So when young people want to communicate, it may not be about them wanting to tell something about themselves. They are simply longing for a response, to establish some point of contact with another person that will indicate: "Our relationship is worth something to me and I'll get back to you."

Social networks or "social media" such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok or WhatsApp play an essential role in the everyday lives of young people. The communication rules – initially hard to grasp – trigger constant usage and outright ambivalent feelings among users. These predominantly include the desire for recognition and belonging to a group while at the same time fearing exclusion from the circle; or the joy of self-staging and the mutual exchange of information, up to self-delusion and a craving to please and control.

Together with three teenage girls, Rebecca Jenal quizzes their sending and receiving of multimedia messages, while documenting her protagonists’ thoughts and their in some respects careless social media behaviour.

The interactive web documentary "Why we share" invites adolescents to reflect on the way they interact with each other, while older generations find a way to appreciate the significance of these social platforms.