Conclusion: Youth Culture and Private Space

Abstract

Whatever the extent of young people’s uses of private spaces such as their bedrooms or social networking sites, they are without any doubt integral to their everyday lives and to their youth cultures as I have demonstrated throughout this book. The physical space of the bedroom provides young people with a place of refuge and escapism, exploration and experimentation, an island to be alone in or a hub from which to connect and communicate with friends and the outside world. It offers a space within which a young person can explore and express their identities and figure out who they are at any given moment in time. Importantly, it is a space that evolves and changes in accordance with young people’s experiences as they move towards their adult years.