The Rise of Internet-Curated Aesthetics: A New Form of Virtual Identity in the Age of Digital Media
in: Rethinking Techno-Politics in the Digital Age: Global Technology Relations and Security, IGI Global, pp.241-262, 2025
- Publication Type: Book Chapter / Chapter Research Book
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.4018/979-8-3373-2459-3.ch009
- Publisher: IGI Global
- Page Numbers: pp.241-262
- Police Academy Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This chapter explores the distinction between subcultures and Internet aesthetics through the lens of authenticity, resistance, and cultural meaning-making. While subcultures emerged as collective, oppositional formations grounded in shared experiences and ideological critique, Internet aesthetics function within platformdriven, hyper-visual environments shaped by algorithmic visibility and aesthetic allure. The chapter argues that Internet aesthetics lack the symbolic depth and disruptive potential of subcultures, resulting in depoliticized youth. Youth identities are increasingly curated through aestheticized, consumable fragments of popular culture, favoring exhibition over resistance, sameness over difference. The logic of likes and algorithmic affirmation replaces political engagement, transforming digital spaces into loops of self-confirmation. Ultimately, the chapter contends that Internet aesthetics reflect a broader cultural shift toward passive identity performance within digital panopticons.