Description
Digital lives of young people in India are complex, messy, and honest. Social media is increasingly constructing their reality, but much of our understanding is limited to the urban middle-class youth, who are disproportionately represented. Based on research undertaken with 200+ people from a mix of social, and economic backgrounds, this project attempts to uncover digital lives of young people from marginalised and vulnerable communities, and explore how they use, understand, and experience the internet. With the aim of communicating the extensive data in an engaging manner, the internet is illustrated as a public space (maidan) merging with the digital world. With winding trails, unexplored patches, and obstacles, it portrays how young people navigate and influence the world around them. Hosted on an interactive website, users are invited to explore the space, and interact with 50 unique characters highlighting online behaviour, consumption patterns, gender biases, and anecdotes.
