Digital Sociability and the Construction of Social Links on Social Digital Network in Ivory Coast: A Case Study of Young Abidjanese

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the communication transformation and digital sociability with digital devices and social media in daily life of young in Abidjan. The study aims to describe the sociability modalities of these young people through the construction of a digital identity conditioning their integration within a peer group community. For this purpose, a case study design was used to understand this social transformation according to participant’s views through a virtual ethnography for a period of 18 months on WhatsApp from 2019 to 2021. Then, online and in person interviews allowed to describe participant’s online practices of sociability. At the end of the study, it was revealed that young people’s digital sociability was a mix of a plural identity, sharing of life experiences generating a hybrid and cultural pluralism. Thus, it is recommended to design a social belonging sustainability using social network sites to provide a better communication between young and adults, eliminate digital literacy gap and provide educational support for a good digital citizenship.