Digitalization and youth: Practices, experiences, and narratives of the future

Digitalization is not merely a process of technological transformation; it is a phenomenon that has emerged as a multi-layered influence extending from social relations to everyday life practices, from perceptions of privacy to identity construction. The relationships that individuals establish in digital environments are reshaping both their sense of social belonging and their forms of social interaction, thereby causing a transformation in the social structure. In this context, this thesis aims to investigate the communication and interaction practices, daily life experiences, and identity construction processes of young individuals by focusing on the multifaceted nature of digitalization. The focus of the research is on university students who are often defined in the literature as "digital natives" (born after 2000). In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 university students aged between 18 and 25, and the experiences and attitudes of the participants regarding their practices in digital environments were analyzed. The qualitative data obtained were classified in relation to the relevant literature. The findings were analyzed within the framework of a phenomenological research design. The research findings were interpreted in the context of the themes Digital New Public Space; Digital Environment and Leisure Activities, Young People's Self- Presentation and Identity Construction; Digital Divide and New Inequalities, Surveillance: A Digital Perspective; The Transformation of Privacy in the Digital Environment, The Young Generation: Alienation and Feelings of Loneliness, and Future Visions. In summary, this study reveals the effects of digitalization on young people's daily life practices and their individual and collective experiences; it also provides meaningful and important data on the phenomenon of "being young in the digital age.