Study of Iranian youth’s identity in network society (Case study of Tehran University students)

Introduction: Today young Iranians in a world, different from what was experienced by the previous generation, recognize themselves and build their identity. On the one hand, family ties and traditional methods of identification, which were mainly passive and based on attributive factors such as ethnicity and religion, are weakening, and on the other hand, other factors affecting youth identity due to the needs of network society and the spread of technology. Although we all experience this process more or less, young people are more exposed to such changes in their identity than any other social groups. The present study aims to examine the sources that shape today's young identity and their understanding and interpretation of their identity.
Method: The present study is a qualitative research. In this study, 19 interviews were conducted among 18 to 28-year-old students of the University of Tehran. The data of survey have been collected based on profound interview technique, analyzed through a Thematic Analysis.
Findings: Young people represent a social group that is perhaps the most involved in the consumption of new communication and new media, one of the most important reasons for which it is the nature of diversity and their up-to-date spirit. Another reason for this is the familiarity of young people with the information related to the use of these media. That's why today's young identity is so much more complex and obscure than it was in previous generations, because as the information age changes and there is a need to be present in a networked society, young people have changed and they have more power and freedom of choice in identity and representation. Thus, the generation that is formed in this space and has lived experience and reaches the consciousness and mentality of the generation, has different values and identities and different versions of action, and draws and interprets the world and the "self" in a different way. The thematic network based on 3 main themes; Fluidity, Rethinking and Egocentricity Individualism has been stated in youth’s comprehension of Identity. Based on the findings of the research, the youth has reconsidered the role of religion and ethnicity and redefined the way they look at these two sources, but their impact on the meaning and identity of today's young is reduced, but the sense of belonging to Iran and Iranian civilization is stronger in the youth identification process is involved.
Conclusion:  in conclusion, youth have not yet reached the collective and active subjects in order to redefine their position in the society, and their resistance and opposition to the values of the dominant institutions of society has not become collective, targeted and planned demands. Conceptions such as frustration, sense of social and political powerlessness, weakness of pragmatism, weakness of social responsibility, weakness in long-term planning abilities and lack of collective demands is true in most of the young people studied, and the extension of this feature is also evident in cyberspace.