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Spinning the web of identity: the roles of the internet in the lives of immigrant adolescents

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, enelly{at}bgu.ac.il

Dafna Lemish

Tel Aviv University, Israel, lemish{at}post.tau.ac.il

This article illuminates the roles of the internet in the unique intersection between adolescence and immigration. The data presented were gathered through in-depth interviews with 70 teenage immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel. The analysis suggests that the internet provides valuable resources for personal growth and empowerment, as it helps to develop and strengthen many aspects of young immigrants' evolving identity during a critical period of social and material disadvantage, when they are engaged in settling into and adjusting to a new society. This case study highlights the importance of researching the internet's roles in the lives of disadvantaged populations, and the potential of this medium for closing knowledge and social gaps.

Key Words: adolescents • former Soviet Union • identity • immigration • integration • internet • Israel • safety • social relationships

New Media & Society, Vol. 11, No. 4, 533-551 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1461444809102959


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