Social Network Sites and Construction of Identity among Generation Z: A Sociological Study among Students of Universities in Uttar Pradesh
Author: Prashant Anand, prashantanandbhu@gmail.com
Department: Department of Sociology
University: University of Lucknow, India
Supervisor: Sukant K. Chaudhury
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
Social Network Sites (SNSs)
, Identity
, Generation Z
, University students
Areas of Research:
Sociocybernetics
, Social Psychology
, Science and Technology
Abstract
The emergence of Web 2.0, as the introduction of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other SNSs, has not only changed the way people communicate and interact but has also influenced the shaping of identities and communities. This effect is more pronounced in developing countries such as India. Tradition and modernity meet in Uttar Pradesh, the most populated state in India, as a significant number of SNSs have penetrated, particularly among youth. With 65.5% of the population using smartphones and with Uttar Pradesh contributing significantly to that figure, there is a critical need to understand the intricacies of SNS use, especially among Generation Z – the generation born in 1997-2012 (Pew Research Center, 2023).
Our knowledge of the complex relationship between Generation Z and SNSs in the context of Uttar Pradesh is lacking. This study attempts to fill this gap by exploring patterns, preferences, and implications of the use of SNSs by the youth in Uttar Pradesh. Through careful analysis of the various facets of this relationship, the study aims to present meaningful findings that will not only enrich academic debate but also contribute to a differentiated perception of the sociocultural reality shaped by the SNSs in this region.
Thus, the main issue that this thesis seeks to address holistically, is the relationship between Generation Z and Social Network Sites in the specific socio-cultural setting of Uttar Pradesh, India.
With this statement of the problem, I have some research questions and respective research objectives.
(1) What is the Social Media behaviour of Gen Z in Uttar Pradesh (status and extent of social media usage, underlying motivations driving social media usage, patterns of social media usage)?
(2) How does an individual’s performance on SNSs influence their sense of identity (influence of an individual’s performance on SNSs on the processes of identity retention and identity transformation, and how an individual’s experience on SNSs contributes to identity formation by analyzing the role of experiences in shaping identity)?
(3) How does the consumption of SNSs shape Gen Z’s identity (factors that shape Gen Z's patterns of Social Network Sites (SNSs) consumption in Uttar Pradesh and their influence on identity formation)? (Network Actor Relationship).
