ABSTRACT
Mitch described himself as a ‘gamer’ and spoke in an animated way about the various games he played. On Steam, Mitch had created an avatar called ‘Maestro’. He had constructed this digital identity carefully to reflect his interest in music and performance. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is about how a group of young Australians use digital media in their everyday lives. The research documented: the young people’s digital practices; their dispositions toward digital media; the critical understandings that these young people brought to their digital practices; and how and where these understandings were developed. In particular, the project focused on how digital media use played a part in their capacity to form and represent their identities, communicate with others and participate in society. When it comes to understanding young people and their relationship with digital media, stereotypes abound.
