Abstract:

General Description:
A time of cultural change is happening based on the possibilities that hyperconnectivity and ubiquitous access to technology provide us, and as a result of increasingly globalised behaviour patterns (Alter, 2018). These are changes that also start to pose some noteworthy risks that define the conceptual and methodological framework of the project that we are presenting: “The Hyperconnected Identity of Youth and their Perception of Time in Digital Leisure. CONECT-ID” (PGC2018-097884-B-I00).

In this communication we present the aforementioned project; its phases, objectives, hypothesis, methodological framework, expected impact, and any possible unanswered questions. The general objective of the project is to understand the construction and reconstruction processes in youth identity, through the analysis of various factors. The project looks at the way in which and to what extent hyperconnectivity in youth affects this identity construction. The following factors will be considered: the perception that youth have of connection time in different digital leisure spaces, where they are, act, produce, consume and/or exchange information about themselves, their peers, and other new socialising agents such as Youtubers, Influencers and the like. (Anderson, Steen, & Stavropoulos, 2017).

Methodology:
The methodological approach developed in this project presents the documentary triangulation, quantitative and qualitative methods of social research, which will be presented in this communication.
We will show the relevance and importance of prioritising research techniques using primary data, that is, data which is extracted directly from the youth population in situations of hyperconnectivity as well as other agents present in key contexts. This data will be collected through interviews, surveys and discussion groups. Furthermore, we will present two experiments that will be carried out through two variants:
1. CONNECTED - Study of time using technology through an application installed on the youth’s main mobile device.
2. NOT CONNECTED - Study of self-perception based on a period of voluntary disconnection from personal mobile devices. For this, we will request the voluntary participation of 20-30 subjects who will register their experience on disconnection and reconnection in an analogue diary during two three-week periods. The experiment is based on the biographical method.

Results and Conclusions:
The first analytical maps conducted on the study variables have shown relevant indications that conclude that technological education is key in order for youth to reflect on: a) the meaning and impact of being permanently connected, b) the resulting impact on their identity and c) the multiplicity of identities that can develop in digitalism. The preliminary results of hyperconnectivity patterns in youth of varying social strata indicate that there are differences according to age, gender, social vulnerability and academic achievement.

References:
[1] Alter, A., (2018). Irresistible ¿Quién nos ha convertido en yonquis tecnológicos? Barcelona: Paidós.
[2] Anderson, E. L., Steen, E., & Stavropoulos, V. (2017). Internet use and Problematic Internet Use: A systematic review of longitudinal research trends in adolescence and emergent adulthood. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 22(4), 430-454.

Keywords:

Identity Construction, Youth, Hyperconnectivity, Project.