Functions of social networks in adaptation of Ukrainian refugees in EU member states

Abstract

This article examines the functions of social media in the adaptation process of Ukrainian refugees in European Union countries after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The authors emphasize the transformation of social networks from everyday communication tools into vital instruments of survival, social support, and integration in a new environment. The theoretical framework of the study is grounded in the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), which views users as active agents who purposefully select media to satisfy their cognitive, emotional, social, and escapist needs. The empirical basis of the research consists of in-depth semi-structured interviews with Ukrainian refugee women currently residing in various EU countries. Thematic analysis of participants’ narratives made it possible to identify typical practices of digital behavior, determine the dominant functions of specific platforms, and trace how the use of social media changes depending on the circumstances of adaptation. Key findings include: (1) social media performs a wide range of functions – from basic (informational, economic, communicative) to more complex (social, identificational, emotional), becoming a pillar in the process of building a new life; (2) а clear relationship between context and platform choice was observed: Telegram is used for rapid information and mutual assistance, Facebook for resource search, Instagram for self-presentation, and TikTok as a tool for stress relief, etc; (3) іn crisis contexts, the functions of social support and the connection between the "old" and the "new" life become particularly important – they build emotional stability and contribute to the preservation of cultural identity; (4) although UGT theory remains a useful analytical framework, the study highlights the need to revise it in light of extreme circumstances – such as war and forced migration – where media platforms become tools for survival, adaptation, and integration into a new social environment.