Adolescence, Identity, and the Politics of Recognition in the Social Media Era by Billington, Rachel Anna;

Short description:

Adolescent Identities, Social Media, and the Politics of Recognition explores the political identity formation of adolescents online, with a focus on recognition theory, affect, and lived experiences of belonging and non-belonging.

Long description:

Adolescence, Identity, and the Politics of Recognition in the Social Media Era explores the political identity formation of adolescents online, with a focus on recognition theory, affect, and lived experiences of belonging and non-belonging.

In a socio-political moment characterised by culture wars and epistemic disjunctures, largely facilitated by the algorithmic logics of modern social media technologies, people are increasingly turning their attention to the role of social media in political belief formation, rising populism, and polarisation. Understanding how these dynamics inform the developing political identities of young people coming of age online is, however, under-explored. In response, this book examines how the desire for recognition and belonging drives identity articulation and political affiliation?both online and offline?for teens negotiating identity construction in the digital era. Using interviews and surveys with New Zealand teens, and employing recognition theory, the book discusses findings which demonstrate how the political identities of adolescents are informed by their relationships with others and mediated by the algorithmic logics of social media platforms. The main themes in the book explore how social media adoption has become a rite of passage for young people in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world, facilitating new sites and pathways for recognition. Additionally, insofar as these sites are governed by algorithmic technologies, they demonstrate potential to both facilitate and inhibit capacities for autonomy, connection, and meaningful recognition of both self and others.

Adolescence, Identity, and the Politics of Recognition in the Social Media Era will be of great interest to students and scholars of Politics and Communication Studies, as well as Social Anthropology, Sociology, Youth Studies, and Education.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Recognition, adolescence, and (political) identity in the algorithmic era

The affective politics of digital media

Adolescent identity development online

Outline of book

1: Recognition theory, social media, and the dialectical moment

Recognition and identity

Honneth?s framework

Phenomenologies of misrecognition

Misrecognising the self

Identity politics

The dialectical moment

Culture wars as struggle

From polarisation to epistemic disjuncture

A fourth order of recognition: Epistemic

The normative potential of (an amended) recognition theory

Recognition as a radical endeavour

Conclusion

2: The hybrid lives of teens online

Hybrid ecologies

Tensions, transitions, and identity work

Digital affordances for belonging

Affective; collective; political

Toxic discursive environments

An algorithmically distorted recognition order

Conclusion

3: Researching recognition

Methodological framework

Perspectivism and representation

Storytelling/storylistening

Meaning-making, interpretation, and hermeneutics

Reflexivity and researcher positionality

Research methods

Phase one: Surveys

Phase two: In-depth interviews

Analysis

Conclusion

4: Affective orientations to the political

Social media as recognition machine

Social media adoption as a rite of passage

Fitting in

Performing belonging and signalling desirable traits

Performing the self as self-discovery

Affirming versus compensatory online practices

Mitigating loneliness

Identifying with a collective

Recognising the self in others

Constructions of us and them; ingroup norms and values

To be recognised is to be understood

Cancel culutre, self-silencing, and the fear of rejection

Conclusion

5: Digitally mediated identities

Autonomy-enhancing or autonomy-inhibiting?

Information-seeking, interests, hobbies

Enabling and inhibiting connection

Agency and intentionality

Addiction, wasted time, mindless scrolling

An emotional (sc)rollercoaster

Depression, anxiety, apathy

A question of consent: Unwanted exposure to distressing content

Environmental influences

Filter effects and epistemic autonomy

Symmetrical versus asymmetrical hermeneutic environments

The power of dialogue

Conclusion

Conclusion: Autonomy, ambiguity, and justice in the algorithmic age

Ambiguities in the liminal

Political orientations

Technologies of power

The normative and transformative potential of recognition theory