Between Freedom and Control - Internet Aesthetics’ Effect on Identity
(2024) BUSN39 20241Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- The younger generation is obsessed with the transient beauty of internet aesthetics and the essence of social media’s “core-culture”. In the fast-paced digital age, internet aesthetics have emerged as a means to categorize not only cultural objects such as clothing, music or artworks, but also our own identities. The primary aim of this thesis is to delve into the influence of internet aesthetics on the identity construction of the younger generation on social media, with a concurrent exploration of its implications for their perceptions of autonomy and control in the digital age. To fulfill this aim, this paper adopts a relativist ontological position and a constructionist epistemological stance, which led us to pursuing an inductive and... (More)
- The younger generation is obsessed with the transient beauty of internet aesthetics and the essence of social media’s “core-culture”. In the fast-paced digital age, internet aesthetics have emerged as a means to categorize not only cultural objects such as clothing, music or artworks, but also our own identities. The primary aim of this thesis is to delve into the influence of internet aesthetics on the identity construction of the younger generation on social media, with a concurrent exploration of its implications for their perceptions of autonomy and control in the digital age. To fulfill this aim, this paper adopts a relativist ontological position and a constructionist epistemological stance, which led us to pursuing an inductive and qualitative research approach. The data collection was facilitated through a mix-method approach consisting of a short-term netnographic observation and semi structured interviews. Subsequently, the data was analyzed by following a thematic approach. Following the application of this method, this thesis’ findings comprise of the identification of six themes (“Navigating Aesthetic Practices”, “Personal Alignment and Differentiation” “Autonomy in Aesthetic Choices”, “Structural Influences and Constraints”, “Psychological Impact of Aesthetics”, and “Community and Belonging,”). Our findings show that internet aesthetics provide an intricate interplay between autonomy and structure which influence identity construction and expression. This equips aesthetic adherents with a sense of autonomy in several aspects while letting them be subjected to control through structural constraints. This thesis advances the theoretical understanding of internet aesthetics by addressing key gaps and introducing novel perspectives, using a conceptual lens of agency and structure, and incorporating the concept of governmentality to explore social and political influences on online behaviors and identities. Practically, it provides insights for brands to develop innovative products and communication strategies, and for policymakers to address social issues and regulate overconsumption driven by aesthetic trends. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9164687
- author
- Kaur, Kirandeep LU and Ji, Shizhuang LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Internet Aesthetic, Identity, Governmentality, Autonomy and Control, Social Media
- language
- English
- id
- 9164687
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-25 13:15:05
- date last changed
- 2024-06-25 13:15:05
@misc{9164687,
abstract = {{The younger generation is obsessed with the transient beauty of internet aesthetics and the essence of social media’s “core-culture”. In the fast-paced digital age, internet aesthetics have emerged as a means to categorize not only cultural objects such as clothing, music or artworks, but also our own identities. The primary aim of this thesis is to delve into the influence of internet aesthetics on the identity construction of the younger generation on social media, with a concurrent exploration of its implications for their perceptions of autonomy and control in the digital age. To fulfill this aim, this paper adopts a relativist ontological position and a constructionist epistemological stance, which led us to pursuing an inductive and qualitative research approach. The data collection was facilitated through a mix-method approach consisting of a short-term netnographic observation and semi structured interviews. Subsequently, the data was analyzed by following a thematic approach. Following the application of this method, this thesis’ findings comprise of the identification of six themes (“Navigating Aesthetic Practices”, “Personal Alignment and Differentiation” “Autonomy in Aesthetic Choices”, “Structural Influences and Constraints”, “Psychological Impact of Aesthetics”, and “Community and Belonging,”). Our findings show that internet aesthetics provide an intricate interplay between autonomy and structure which influence identity construction and expression. This equips aesthetic adherents with a sense of autonomy in several aspects while letting them be subjected to control through structural constraints. This thesis advances the theoretical understanding of internet aesthetics by addressing key gaps and introducing novel perspectives, using a conceptual lens of agency and structure, and incorporating the concept of governmentality to explore social and political influences on online behaviors and identities. Practically, it provides insights for brands to develop innovative products and communication strategies, and for policymakers to address social issues and regulate overconsumption driven by aesthetic trends.}},
author = {{Kaur, Kirandeep and Ji, Shizhuang}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Between Freedom and Control - Internet Aesthetics’ Effect on Identity}},
year = {{2024}},
}