Konstruowanie tożsamości w Internecie – młodzi ludzie z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną

The construction of online identity by young people with intellectual disabilities is slightly different than in the case of non-disabled peers. According to research, they use online communication, but they usually learn about various amenities and news with a delay. The aim of the considerations is to answer the question of what impact the Internet has on various aspects of life: risk-taking, loneliness and networking, getting to know sex life, the role of parents (eg Seale, Chadwick, 2017). Young people with intellectual disabilities use the Internet for slightly different purposes than their peers. It is very important to maintain contact with others online for emotional purposes (Krzyżak-Szymańska (red.), 2019). Intellectual disability additionally creates a situation in which young people are subjected to more frequent aggression and hate (Plichta 2012). Although the identity constructed on the Internet allows to hide the real „I” and establish relationships that are a substitute for normalcy (Watson, 2002), as a result, real meetings are less frequent than among groups of able-bodied youth.