Do I Want to Project an Idealized Image? A Study of the Construction of the Digital Identity of Minors as Social Media Content Creators

Anastacio-Coello L.; Palomino-Moreno H.; Atarama-Rojas T. · Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-09911-2_26

Resumen

Social networks have become a privileged space for personal expression, especially among minors, who, as digital natives, actively take part in the creation and dissemination of content. The objective of this study is to analyze how minors exercise ethical competence when building their digital identity on social networks. To this end, a quantitative approach was adopted through the application of structured surveys. The questionnaire evaluated 10 variables related to the dimension of digital identity and was applied to a sample of 582 Peruvian adolescents, male and female, aged 12–17. The findings reveal a significant correlation between the need for social acceptance and emotional validation, and the tendency to project an idealized image in digital environments. These results underline the importance of promoting media literacy training to reinforce ethical competence of minors as content creators, encouraging a more critical, conscious, and healthy relationship with social networks. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad de Piura