Finding the meaning of emo in youths' online social networking: A qualitative study of contemporary Italian emo

Abstract

This paper analyses how young Italians aged 16 to 19 who identify themselves with emo subculture use social network sites (SNSs) in constructing their identity and social relations. Based on a qualitative methodology, the findings supported our hypothesis that SNS are tools to socialise rather than isolate. Emo emerges as a powerful identity mark, which through dissemination in new media provides the foundation for a new sense of subcultural belonging.