This interdisciplinary project problematises undergraduate student participation in image-rich and real-time digital spaces (YouTube/Instagram/TikTok). While it is widely acknowledged that students as young people inhabit digital spaces, there is a lack of understanding of how social media interacts with their identity development throughout their ‘student lifecycle’, including transitions to/from studenthood and identity-based belonging. Such spatiotemporal focus on identities is essential in a context where digital spaces constantly evolve with new ways to express oneself. The student population worldwide has also become younger, resulting in overlapping pressures between studenthood and youth transitions. Furthermore, the WHO has announced the mental health crisis among students, making this project even more timely. To address the issue, the project will bring together Durham academics from Education, Business, Sociology, Anthropology, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Psychology, as well as a variety of international interdisciplinary experts (Fellows and advisory group). The novel methodological approach integrates computer-assisted video/image analysis with anthropological analysis of visuals/images and sociological approaches to CDA. The project will result in an innovative theoretical-methodological framework that will inform large-scale research on students/youth in digital spaces (grant application, publications, symposium) and immediate recommendations for mediating risks on wellbeing in digital spaces (project website, engagement with partners).
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.