Disconnectivity synced with identity cultivation:
adolescent narratives of digital disconnection

Disconnectivity synced with identity cultivation:
adolescent narratives of digital disconnection

digital disconnection, social networking sites, adolescence, psychosocial development, narrative identity

This article elucidates adolescent digital disconnection through the lens of narrative identity development to answer the research question:
“How do adolescent disconnection experiences play into ongoing identity development processes?” The study draws from qualitative
interviews with 17 Norwegian adolescents. The findings indicate that adolescents are ambivalent about their relationships with social networking
sites, producing ripple effects on their motivation and disconnection practices. The findings are explained through the cultivation of narrative
identity. Thus, this article proposes that adolescent digital disconnection is aligned with identity formation, reflected in narrative themes and
corresponding features. By detailing how ongoing identity construction processes underpin the need and ability to disconnect, this article
contributes a developmental perspective to the digital disconnection literature.

Mehri S. Agai

https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmac025

Oxford University Press on behalf of International Communication Association.

28 September 2022

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