Social Media, Communities, & Networks Conference 2026: Semester 1 & SP1

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One response to “Networked Youth in Rural Australia: How Social Media Shapes Connection and Belonging- By Maya Pizzirani”

1. 

   22870146@student.curtin.edu.au

   30/04/2026

   Hi Maya!

   I really enjoyed your exploration of how different media platforms offer a space for youths to express and explore their identity and feel a sense of belonging. Your visual slides were really engaging and the way you presented your points was effective in communicating your ideas. I especially liked your case study about rural and remote youth and how social media is used to manage isolation.
   Here are my questions I have for you:
   Q1: I really found your discussion of platform affordances like visibility and persistence interesting, especially for rural youth. Do you think algorithmic curation affects rural youth differently compared to urban youth? For example, in terms of who’s content gets amplified or how easily they can find niche communities?

   Q2:Your discussion on imitation publics was really interesting, particularly the idea that young people connect through shared participation rather than direct interaction. Im interested in how this related to young peoples agency – do these repetitive trends create opportunities for self-expression, or do they place pressure on users to conform?

   Q3: You mentioned both context collapse and the presence of surveillance from adults and platforms. How do you think these pressures shape the way young people present themselves to multiple audiences online? Do they limit their ability to express an “authentic” identity, or lead them to self-censor or carefully manage how they appear?

   🙂

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