Ritualized Practice of Digital Media: The Group Identity Mechanism of Adolescent Meaning Generation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jnme.202510510

Author(s)

Xinran Li

Affiliation(s)

Jinan Foreign Language School, Jinan, Shandong, China

Abstract

Digital media technology has restructured the spatio-temporal boundaries and participation models of traditional rituals. Through the innovation of symbol systems, the upgrading of spatial experiences, and the transformation of participation methods, it has formed media rituals that are immersive, interactive, and emotionally resonant. During this process, the adolescent group achieves meaning generation through symbol decoding, emotional resonance and behavioral imitation, and completes the construction of group identity relying on the need for group belonging, the reinforcement of peer interaction and the social comparison mechanism. The ubiquitous nature of digital media has broken through the limitations of physical space, enabling teenagers to complete self-awareness and social positioning in the interwoven ritual scenes of virtual and reality, and form a group identity model with the characteristics of The Times. Research reveals that digital media rituals, through technological empowerment and cultural innovation, offer a new path for the identity of the youth group, but they also face potential risks such as symbolic alienation and emotional superficiality.

Keywords

Digital Media; Ritualized Practice; Teenagers; Group Identity; Meaning Generation

References

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