This case study follows urban young adults who previously participated in Tuva B. Broch's doctoral work. She now incorporates both their new and well established digitalized social networks. Her particular focus is on young adults’ relationship with their smartphone.
For many people, it seems like the distinction between online and offline life is blurred. Therefore, it becomes significant to investigate the importance of digital platforms in young adults' everyday lives, for example in their choice of meeting places, physical movements, and experiences of environmental surroundings and friendships.
In everyday offline worlds, different relationships are often assigned different spheres. What happens to young adults when the different spheres are exceeded online? When all of a sudden, parents, professors and employers have access to the same information about you as a daughter, student and employee? Where can we identify the "private" in the lives of young adults? What is shared with whom, and what is being withheld from digital platforms?
The study also seeks to elucidate how apps and information available through the smartphone change or affect young adults' emotion and identity work. Last but not least, we want to find out if there still exists what one can call a significant kitchen-table community online or offline, among young urban adults.
Contact: Tuva Beyer Broch