Digital Platforms as a Space of Communication for Young Adults

The article is devoted to the theoretical understanding of the communication practices of young adults in the space of digital platforms, the popularity of which has largely increased after the 2020-2022 pandemic and the long-term lockdown. This led to the transformation of interaction processes in various social groups. Young people found themselves at the forefront of users and creators of platforms and online communities due to their high social activity, relatively high digital literacy, and flexibility in adopting innovations. To operationalize the main trends in youth communication on digital platforms, the authors use the concept of “engagement” in the theoretical and methodological interpretation of E. Goffman and his concept of interaction order. Analysis of statistical data and recent scientific publications devoted to the digital practices of young people allowed to identify the following processes. Firstly, the significant growth in popularity of closed platforms (Discord, Telegram) among the youth may indicate the desire of users to interact outside the public self-presentation imposed on social networks, but to such services in which one can “be oneself” that can be characterized as a digital backstage (Goffman), contributing to the formation of a “real identity” without direct connection to public self-presentation online. Secondly, the feeling of isolation or FOMO (fear of missing out) , which is generally characteristic of young people in the process of socialization, although it contributes to involvement in online communication practices, is not overcome by participation in online communities alone, even with high user activity, which can be expressed as the paradox of “loneliness on the net” (Vishnevsky). In general, digital platforms contribute to the involvement of young people in online forms of interaction, and the actual process of socialization has been largely transferred online. Understanding the structure of digital interactions of young people can be based on the concepts of E. Goffman (presenting oneself to others; essay on the organization of everyday experience), while today the experience of youth communication practices gives grounds to reconsider the quality of digital engagement from the standpoint of the formation of a “real identity” and the creation of stable social connections in the process of everyday communication experience.