Computer Use and Student's Social Identity Formation: A Case Study of Computer Use by Tehrani Primary School Girl Students Belonging to the Rich Upper Class

Computer is one of the consumer goods which have become a critical element of individual's lifestyle through pervading their free time. In the present study an attempt has been made to analyze and identify the role of computer use in the formation of student's lifestyle and their perception of social classes through conducting a case study of computer use by Tehrani primary school girl students belonging to the rich upper class. The results revealed that patterns of computer use leads to the formation of two types of distinction irrespective of the content of computer use. The first instance is social class distinction in which students stabilize their social class distinction through conformity with the prevailing behaviors of the consumer society and the social class they belong to. The second instance is generation distinction and formation of identity and independence which induce students to use computers independently (or with a feeling of independence). This results in a distinct computer use compared to that of previous generation and consequently children can achieve definitions of independent identity and individuation.