Virtual communication experiences and identity role-playing in the Telegram account community
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25139/jsk.v9i3.10964Keywords:
adolescent communication, roleplay, telegram apps, virtual identityAbstract
In today’s interconnected digital era, roleplay on social media platforms such as Telegram serves as a space for adolescents to create and perform virtual identities. This study explored the verbal and non-verbal communication experiences, meanings, and motivations underlying virtual identity formation among adolescent role-players. Employing a phenomenological qualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 5, June 2025), observation, and documentation. The findings reveal three interrelated themes: (1) verbal communication is primarily text-based due to anonymity constraints; (2) non-verbal communication is conveyed through textualised cues, such as ‘//’ symbols, emoticons, and stickers, which substitute for gestures and body language; and (3) virtual identity carries patterned meanings shaped by escapism, social experimentation, and self-exploration. Adolescents construct and perform identities that enable emotional expression, alternative self-exploration, and meaningful peer engagement. This study highlights how roleplay functions as a digital ‘third space’, where anonymity and textual communication facilitate identity development and socio-emotional literacies.
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