Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The virtualization of the social practices of individuals mobilizes the interest of academics and experts who analyse the affective ties and personal subjectivities of Internet users. In particular, this interest has guided research to understand how ICT mediate in the interpretations that young people make of their identities and their affective ties. The immersion of this group in digital environments is considered a dominant and comprehensive practice in their daily lives. This study addresses the ways in which young people get involved in social networks, attending to adjustments and maladjustments in their virtualized relationships. We show some of the results of a R&D project: “The uses of time related to virtualization. Generational differences” (funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, January 2016 - December 2020). In December 2019, we conducted twelve focus groups . 48 women and 48 men aged 20 to 30 participated in them. We present the results related to their interpersonal relationships. The results show that young people are readjusting their personality to adapt to the historical dissonance between the desired humanization and the dehumanizing imbalances caused by technological advancement. This antagonism is perceived in two trends identified in youth discourses in relation to role and gender identities: on the one hand, utilitarian individualism is more masculine and technoscientific. On the other hand, solidarity sociability is more feminine and socio-scientific. The value of this study lies in the possibility to develop further research with a sample of older adults to identify intergenerational differences.