ATOFOJOMO ATINUKE OMOLADE

Broadcasting

At the Broadcasting department office

Appointment on Visitation important

Topic: Children Media Usage

Description: This general area of research is one where I hope to probe into the media usage pattern of children in Lagos in particular and Nigeria in general as well as what informs this usage

#	Certificate	School	Year
1.	Ph.D (Communication Studies)	Broadcasting, Lagos State University	2018

From Selfies to Selfhood: Exploring Identity Construction Through Mobile Visual Culture Among Teenagers in Lagos State

In an era increasingly defined by digital connectivity, the smartphone has emerged not merely as a tool for communication but as a medium through which teenagers create digital content and negotiate identity. Teenagers utilise selfie-driven features of platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, to project and construct their identities, yet this terrain remains under explored in the African context. This study assesses teenagers' utilisation of smartphones in shaping their identity through a qualitative research approach using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and ethnographic methods. Twenty teenagers aged 16-19, drawn from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in Lagos State, participated in the study. Data was collected through mobile media diaries in which participants document their daily lives via selfies, short videos, and screenshots over a two-week period; the participant-generated media served as prompts for the FGD sessions. The study investigates how visual self-representation on digital platforms contributes to identity formation among teenagers in Lagos State, the factors that affects what teenagers post in their selfies and the features on their preferred apps they use when posting their selfies. It was revealed that teenagers utilise smartphones for communicating identity, preferring Tiktok over other visual apps. It was also discovered that primarily peers and family validation made them venture into selfie posting. This study therefore contributes to existing knowledge by contextualising digital identity construction within an African urban context, presenting the intersection of global digital trends with local realities. Ultimately, it stresses the need for more context-sensitive frameworks in understanding youth digital practices and calls for further research into the long-term implications of mobile visual culture on adolescent identity development in similar contexts.

ATOFOJOMO OMOLADE is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Broadcasting

ATOFOJOMO has a Ph.D in Communication Studies from Broadcasting, Lagos State University