People Places and Posts: Exploring Digital Identities of Urban Youth of Pune

Abstract

Identity is a vast and slippery term. It is used mostly in social sciences and related sub disciplinarian’s cultural studies, sociology, and psychology. `Youth` as a stage is an extremely critical period in terms of identity formation Identity is developed by self, but it must be validated by others Identity is central to digital communication technologies because the internet allows the user to change the real social identity (offline) and create a new or recreated identity online The Internet allows us to alter self-micro narrations and authority and the way society shapes identity. Identity is the most crucial element of digital communication because an identity is a context of interpersonal communication. Online culture is a parallel culture for offline or the real culture. The Internet offers a new platform of identity in which real identity can be hidden and it can be reshaped or recreated as per the user’s interest hence Internet is a context free medium. We assume that the individual form’s identity meanings from society's culture The self-sentiment is a crucial aspect. Mobile media usage facilitates the users to develop their self-sentiment related identities in the internet space. Social media usage and getting likes and posts can be associated with the self- sentiment.This research paper explores the variety of online-expressionism of urban youth when they are active on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. In context of the social shaping of identities and the negotiating politics in the online space. The paper also comments and explores the gendered Identities, and body image negotiations in terms of femininity and masculinity in the digital space. The urban young people, their online posts, and the different places all together forms a collage of different identities.