Looking at identity construction processes in the cyberspace. A pilot study on late adolescents

This paper presents some results of the analysis we conducted on patterns of online self-presentations and interactions among a sample of late Italian adolescents. Our study was conceived as a preliminary investigation on some psychosocial processes underpinning online communication aspects of identity construction. Our sample comprised 31 Italian undergraduate psychology students (age range: 19-21) that were invited to join anonymously a virtual community including both a weblog and a forum. The exploratory text analysis we performed on weblog and forum contents showed the presence of recurrent themes referring to crucial areas such as academic engagement, professional dimensions of future, interpersonal relationships (romantic and family issues) and personal interests. Our contribution tried to adopt a new narrative perspective on the use of electronic communication devices both as instruments of self disclosure and ways to gain access to a relational network in which the real and the virtual merge into one another.