Reconstructing the experiences of adolescents in order to identify Dual identities in virtual and real space

The purpose of the current research was to reconstruct the narratives and experiences of teenagers in order to identify the duality of identity in the virtual and real space. The research method was qualitative and reconstruction type, which was conducted with interview participants. The statistical population of the research was all secondary school students of Ardabil province. The sample size included 16 students who were selected by purposive sampling and based on the principle of theoretical saturation. Semi-structured and in-depth narrative interviews were used to collect data, and for its reliability, the method of re-reading the narratives and re-referring the entire written narrative to some school counselors was used. The data was analyzed based on thematic analysis. The results of reconstructing the narratives of teenagers showed that real and virtual space has led to the formation of different and sometimes dual identities in teenagers. This identity duality can be seen in religious, family, sexual, national, ethnic and cultural dimensions. The identity of teenagers in the real space was more formed, coherent and real, and in the virtual space, it was relatively mobile, unstable and numerous. An identity which, according to some features, can be called a modern or re-thinking identity. In addition to trying to protect traditional sources of identity in the real world, teenagers showed themselves to be in favor of a global or cosmopolitan identity in cyberspace.