Embodied technology use:
Unaccompanied refugee youth and the migrant platformed body
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/mediekultur.v37i71.125346Keywords:
unaccompanied refugee youth; social media; migrant platformed body; embodied technologyAbstract
For unaccompanied refugee youth, technology occupies a central role in their lives. It helps them when crossing countries, finding a shelter, and accessing education, or even in negotiating family relations online (e.g., Çelikaksoy & Wadensjö, 2017; Marlowe & Bruns, 2020; Morrice et al., 2020). Research with young refugees shows that social media and smart devices have become essential means to resolve many challenges (Kutscher & Kreß, 2018). The aim of our article is to go beyond a utilitarian view of digital technologies and social media in the lives of migrant youth and show how digital actions can be extensions of bodily communications in relation to, for instance, locating the self within new cities, food, music, and religion. We introduce the concept of the migrant platformed body as a site of struggle for unity that brings past and present into continuous discussion in and through the uses of social media technologies.
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