Identity and Representation in the Virtual Environment of Generation Alpha, Current Theory

Abstract

The virtual world is, for most young people who are "digitally grown," the space of self-representation. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of how Generation Alpha in Romania navigates the internet, conforms to the self, and constructs its online identity. The way we communicate online allows us to (re)present and (re)interpret ourselves in various forms and by various means, adapted to an endless show of virtual masks. At the beginning of the article, I present the specific aspects of the concept of computer-mediated communication, subsequently relating to the process of identity formation and representation of young people in the online environment, focusing on the particularities of Generation Alpha in using social media tools.