DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND YOUTH IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF SOCIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.

Abstract

The digital revolution has fundamentally transformed how young people construct and express their identities. This systematic review examines sociological evidence regarding the relationship between digital platforms and youth identity formation, analyzing research published between 2019 and 2024. Drawing from 47 empirical studies across multiple disciplines, we explore how social media, gaming platforms, and online communities shape adolescent selfconcept, social belonging, and identity exploration. The review identifies three primary dimensions through which digital platforms influence youth identity: self-presentation and curation, peer validation mechanisms, and community-based identity exploration. Our findings reveal that digital platforms function as both liberating spaces for identity experimentation and constraining environments that amplify social pressures. Young people navigate complex tensions between authenticity and performance, privacy and visibility, individual expression and algorithmic influence. The evidence suggests that platform architecture, algorithmic curation, and design features significantly mediate how youth engage with identity work online. We conclude that understanding digital identity construction requires moving beyond simplistic narratives of either technological determinism or complete user agency, instead recognizing the co-constructed nature of digital youth identities.