Globalisierte Bewährungssucher – Digitale Medien als Räume der Inspiration und Präsentation eigener Lebensentwürfe

The article shows that for adolescents in the globalized modern age, the probation model of the authentic lifestyle creator and presenter has gained great significance. To develop this perspective on adolescence, firstly, the constitutional theoretical perspective on adolescents as probation seekers is developed. Secondly, against this background, a historical sketch shows how the basic features of probation patterns have changed since the beginning of modernity and how adolescents have successively become globalized, authenticity-testing probation seekers who, on the one hand, independently and locally unboundedly seek inspiration for possible life plans in the digital media and, on the other hand, also present their own probation models there in order to receive confirming resonance.

Thirdly, in contrast to the terms star, celebrity and IT girl and using the example of Julia Beautx, the core figure of the influencer is worked out, as it embodies essential aspects of a late-modern form of life design that are significant for adolescents. Fourthly, in a change of perspective, the architectonics of profile pages on Instagram are examined using the example of Chiarra Ferragni to show that they fulfill the function of a virtual probation fair by enabling and provoking the presentation of individual probation portfolios.