Social Media and the Process of Identity-Formation Among Z Generation: Case of the Mashhad City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Abbas Ghanbari Baghestan 1
Faeze Hoseinzade 2
farzad gholami 3
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Tehran
2 Department of Social Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
3 Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran
10.22034/jcsc.2023.2014283.2704
Abstract
 
 
This study aims to analyze and explain the role of social media in the process of identity-formation among the adolescent users.
A narrative-episodic interview technique is utilized to answer the research questions. Twelve interviews were conducted with adolescent girls, who are social media users and students at selected schools of Mashhad, aged 15 to 18. The collected data was processed with thematic analysis method.
The findings indicate a shift from “living with the social media” to “living in the social media”.  Results show that despite their high level of agency in online search, adolescent girls’ cyber identity is reported to be superficial. They also benefit from the power of “agency” in online identity execution” which has led to arbitrary formation of social media and the “self”. As we discuss, the high “agency” and the capacity of user’s control identity execution have caused “objectification perspective on the social media audiences”. Moreover, unrestricted access to the social media content is shown to lead to the emergence of “self-centered and media-centered norms”. “The planned or unwanted intersection of  online and offline fields” has eliminated the border between these two fields. Therefore, adolescent girls always experience “anxiety caused by unwanted visibility”.
 Respondents’ narratives of their experience in social media unfolds elements of  identity formation process. Since the adolescent girls avoid any unfavorable situation due to social media capacities and the power of “agency”, identity formation is reduced to a lower level.
 
 
 
Keywords
Social Media
Application Generation
Z generation
identity-formation
Dialogical self
Subjects

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Cultural Studies & Communication
Volume 19, Issue 71
Summer 2023
Pages 135-162