Social Identity Construction of Youth Advocates in Social Media

Abstract

Identity development among youth is an essential competency in order for youth to continue to grow into fully successful adults. Since the introduction of social media to the Internet in the late 1990s, youth have begun to have the opportunity to develop their identities in these virtual spaces. Recently there has been an increase in discussion around this process as youth increasingly spend more time on social media. Further research suggests youth are engaging in identity development through posting on social media applications (Ward, 2017). This can be important to understand when trying to understand the motivations behind social media use and how it may have long lasting effects on an individual's development of their inner self. Following the 2018 Parkland shooting, there has been a national focus on youth using social media for the use of social and political activism. This leads to questions such as: Do youth understand what activism is? How do they present themselves as activists on the internet? Do their peers’ opinions and reactions effect what and how they post their ideas on their cause? This study will explore the ideas and concepts of how youth are using social media and their peers to create and maintain an identity in the area of political and civic identities. This form of identity is especially important in the time period of adolescence as they navigate their perception of themselves and how they fit into society.