How smartphone photos contribute to young people’s identity formation
The photographed life
Dr. Michaela Kramer, media educator at FAU, has investigated the influence of smartphone photography and the presentation of images on social media on the identity formation of young people. This has resulted in a typology that describes different ways in which young people can present themselves via photos on Instagram, Snapchat and similar platforms and what this says about their personality formation.
In recent years, the smartphone has contributed significantly to the everydayness and ubiquity of photography. Especially among young people, the diverse possibilities of photographic self-presentation and communication via social media enjoy great popularity. Against this backdrop, this qualitative study is devoted to the importance of photographic practices in addressing the identity questions “Who am I, how did I become, who am I, and who will I be?” Read more…