Youth Identity in the Digital Age

AbstractThe digital culture has a profound influence on the formation of personal identity among the youth of Gens Y and Z. The networked society has strongly affected the process of forming an “inner identity,” a critical task in the adolescent period. The design of digital social media and apps can enslave youth in the “hive” and take away the solitude and resources needed for them to cultivate their “inner identity.” Therefore, there is a need for institutions such as school, family, and church to reinvent better ways to accommodate youth and engage them with digital media with responsibility and discernment.