Digital identification of the teenage generation and conflict in the social sphere (a framework for analysis)

Adolescent identification in Iran is rapidly changing. Over the past decade, adolescents have been influenced by several significant factors, and their path of identification has undergone intense transformation compared to the past. The most important of these factors are the rapid advancements in communication technologies and the consequent expansion of social networks, increasing online information, and the emergence of excessive connectivity where adolescents can be constantly connected to each other online, creating pervasive interactions that directly impact identities. Alongside the consequences and lasting effects of economic, social, and political processes that have persisted from the past, this provides a broader perspective in understanding the cognition and identification of the new generation. The present study, with descriptive-analytical method, aimed to answer the central question: ‘How has the identification of the new generation taken shape?’ and ‘What are the consequences of the convergence of this new identity with the societal situation?’ The result indicates that the convergence of these stimuli (changes in communication technologies and the consequences of political, economic, and social trends) in the identification of the new generation suggests to policymakers that digital identification among adolescents can be a positive source for social change, creating social capital and promoting well-being if controlled and guided. Otherwise, it can play a major role in social unrest, anti-social behavior, and consequently conflict against tradition, religion, and the political system.