Growing Up in a World of Platforms: What Changes and What Doesn’t?

Abstract

While the notion of the ‘digital native’ has been widely critiqued on empirical, theoretical and
political grounds, the conceptual structure of these arguments has received much less
scrutiny. Through a critical engagement with the technologized essentialism which
permeates lay and expert commentary on the implications of socio-technical innovation for
emerging adults, I develop a conceptual framework (platform & agency) which avoids this
tendency, built around the analysis of reflexivity and relations in tracing out interaction
between people and technology over time in structured contexts. I apply this framework to
the question of socialisation, developing the concept of ‘potential selves’ to explore the
platform society as a cultural context for socialization. The generations growing up within a
platformized world, the younger millennials and the ‘zoomers’ who are coming after them,
cannot be adequately understood as either digital natives or digital narcissists. They do
however confront some unique existential challenges which the economic, social and
political ramifications of the crisis unfolding around us makes it even more urgent that we
understand.

Keywords: Platforms, Agency, Technology, Youth, Digital Natives