Imagine Performing And Self - "exhibition" Paradigm Of Internet Use And Adolescent Identity Construction

Spectacle and performance paradigm (SPP) has become the most importantaudience research paradigm after the coding and decoding paradigm,providing newangle of view for audience research. Unlike previous research paradigms,SPP aims atthe matter of identity. With the view of SPP,audiences make performances with themeans of media,acquiring identity through performances in the end.This research based on SPP,targeted at young people,with a sample of382students,which was chosen from junior and senior school students in J city. In thisresearch,I separate’identity’into three parts,self-image identity,sense of identificationand the conformity of one’s emotion. Also,I set up different variables on threedimensions,demographic characteristics,personal characteristics and the use of media.In this research,I found that,self-image identity are associated with a significantcorrelation in media literacy,narcissistic personality and other variables,while,sexualdistinction and media contact time are irrelevant variables. On the dimension of senseof identification,a significant correlation existed between media literacy andgrades,however,narcissistic personality and media contact time are irrelevantvariables. As for sense of identification and the conformity,it is significantly related tomedia literacy,self-disclosure tendency and spectacle tendency,at the sametime,narcissistic personality is not significantly correlated.All in all,self-identity for teenagers are associated with a significant correlationin media literacy,narcissistic personality,self-disclosure tendency,grades and othervariables,and is unrelated in media contact time and the cultural degree of parents.This is a study on measurement,and by using in-depth interviews,combining withthe cases of media usage,it tries to show how the self-identity for teenagers is built.Prettifying oneself by retouching photos,making communication through the networkmessages and self-reflection through weblog,that is the way for the construction ofyoungsters identity. Prettifying oneself means presentation of self with narcissism andinfatuation with material symbols. Self-reflection contains personal narration,valuejudgements and emotional projection. This research also tried to outline teenagers’media use style which is more like the youth subculture. With the view ofSPP,teenagers’media use style was highly diverse,having treble characteristics. Inconclusion,teenagers are performers,poachers and players.