Chapter 31: Quiz — Adolescent Identity Formation in the Age of the Algorithm

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question. Answer key appears at the end.

Question 1 Erik Erikson identified the central developmental tension of adolescence as:

A) Initiative versus guilt B) Identity versus role confusion C) Intimacy versus isolation D) Industry versus inferiority

Question 2 In Marcia's framework, an adolescent who has committed to an identity without exploring alternatives—typically by adopting parents' values and roles—is in which status?

A) Identity diffusion B) Identity moratorium C) Identity foreclosure D) Identity achievement

Question 3 Which identity status represents the most developmentally healthy completed state, according to Marcia?

A) Identity diffusion B) Identity moratorium C) Identity foreclosure D) Identity achievement

Question 4 "Context collapse," as applied to social media, refers to:

A) The tendency for social media to reduce the complexity of social interactions to simple metrics like likes and follows B) The collapse of distinct social audiences (family, friends, employers) into a single undifferentiated audience for online content C) The way that social media algorithms reduce the diversity of content available to users over time D) The psychological experience of feeling overwhelmed by social media notifications

Question 5 The "photographic archive" problem refers to:

A) Social media platforms storing user images without consent B) The tendency of algorithms to surface embarrassing old photos in recommendation feeds C) The permanent, searchable, shareable record of adolescent self-expression created by digital media, which removes the protection of impermanence from identity experiments D) Photograph manipulation tools that allow users to create unrealistic self-images

Question 6 "Algorithmic identity foreclosure" as described in the chapter refers to:

A) The deliberate design of platforms to prevent users from changing their political views B) The way algorithms infer identity from early behavioral signals and reinforce that identity with progressively more intense content before genuine exploration is complete C) The foreclosure of advertising algorithms on users who don't generate sufficient engagement D) The process by which platforms ban accounts that violate community identity standards

Question 7 According to research cited in the chapter, how are passive and authentic social media self-presentation associated with well-being?

A) Passive use and strategic (idealized) self-presentation are both associated with better well-being B) Active use and authentic self-presentation are both associated with better well-being C) Passive use is associated with better well-being; authentic self-presentation is associated with worse well-being D) Neither type of use or self-presentation has been found to be significantly associated with well-being

Question 8 The "looking-glass self" concept, applied to social media, suggests that:

A) Social media creates a mirror effect where users see their own opinions reflected back to them in a filter bubble B) Self-image is formed partly through perceiving how others respond to us, with social media engagement metrics functioning as a commercially-mediated mirror C) Social media platforms use mirrors (cameras) as primary input devices, creating a constant focus on physical appearance D) Looking at others on social media causes users to adopt those others' identities

Question 9 Research on the gap between online persona and offline identity consistently finds that this gap is associated with:

A) Better social outcomes but worse psychological outcomes B) No significant psychological effects, since adolescents typically understand the difference between online and offline selves C) Negative psychological outcomes including cognitive dissonance and anxiety D) Positive outcomes in the short term but negative outcomes in the long term

Question 10 Which of the following best describes the mechanism by which pro-eating-disorder content reaches vulnerable adolescents on platforms like Instagram and TikTok?

A) Malicious content creators deliberately target vulnerable teenagers with harmful content B) Vulnerable teens actively seek out pro-eating-disorder communities independently of algorithmic influence C) Algorithms responding to engagement signals serve progressively more intense eating-disorder-adjacent content to users who engage with diet or fitness material D) Pro-eating-disorder content is algorithmically promoted because it generates advertising revenue

Question 11 Erikson's concept of the "moratorium" refers to:

A) A temporary ban on social media use imposed by parents B) A period in which society allows adolescents to explore roles without requiring adult-level commitment, providing protected space for identity work C) The developmental stage that follows identity achievement when an individual consolidates their sense of self D) The period of role confusion that precedes identity achievement

Question 12 "Finsta" (private or second Instagram account) use among adolescents illustrates which dynamic discussed in the chapter?

A) Adolescents' tendency to create multiple identities, one of which is fraudulent B) The context collapse problem and adolescents' strategies to maintain different presentations for different audiences C) The permanence of the photographic archive, since even private accounts are technically permanent D) Parasocial relationships, since finstagram is primarily used to follow content creators

Question 13 According to Valkenburg and colleagues, what characteristic is most predictive of whether social media will be harmful to a particular adolescent?

A) Total hours of social media use per week B) The specific platforms used (some are inherently more harmful than others) C) Individual factors including pre-existing self-esteem, social comparison orientation, and type of social media use D) Parental monitoring level

Question 14 The "always-on social world" created by smartphones and social media is described as potentially harmful to identity development because:

A) It exposes teenagers to too many different possible identities, causing identity confusion B) It reduces the capacity for solitude and reflection that genuine identity work requires C) It forces teenagers to perform adult identity roles before they are developmentally ready D) It eliminates the role of parents and schools in identity socialization

Question 15 Parasocial relationships with influencers can serve which of the following positive developmental function(s)?

A) They substitute for the need for genuine peer relationships, reducing social anxiety B) They provide examples of possible selves, demonstrate ways of navigating challenges, and offer a sense of community C) They protect adolescents from the harms of peer comparison by providing a stable external reference point D) They generate commercial skills that adolescents can use in their own content creation

Question 16 Political identity formation in algorithmic environments is potentially problematic because:

A) Social media platforms are owned by corporations with specific political agendas they promote B) Algorithms may direct adolescents toward progressively more extreme political content during the developmentally sensitive period when political identity is being formed C) Teenagers are not cognitively capable of understanding political content until adulthood D) Political content on social media is uniformly misinformed and unreliable

Question 17 Research by Boyd and colleagues on adolescent awareness of digital permanence found that teenagers:

A) Are largely unaware that their online content is permanent and accessible to future employers and romantic partners B) Are acutely aware of permanence and potential reach, leading to strategic self-censorship and careful audience management C) Embrace the permanence of digital content as a positive feature that provides a record of their development D) Have delegated concern about permanence to their parents, trusting adults to manage appropriate self-presentation

Question 18 The Wall Street Journal's 2021 investigation into TikTok's recommendation algorithm found that:

A) TikTok's algorithm was more protective of adolescent users than Instagram's B) New accounts expressing interest in content about sadness were quickly served progressively more intense depression and suicidality content C) TikTok's algorithm accurately identified and filtered harmful content for users under 18 D) The algorithm treated all content categories uniformly without differential amplification

Question 19 According to the chapter, the research on authentic versus strategic social media self-presentation and well-being suggests that:

A) Strategic self-presentation is always harmful and should be discouraged B) Authentic self-presentation is always beneficial and carries no significant risks C) Perceived authenticity of self-presentation (online self matching offline self) is associated with better well-being, though authentic self-presentation carries its own risks D) The relationship between authenticity and well-being is entirely mediated by the number of social media followers

Question 20 Which of the following describes the most evidence-supported parenting approach to adolescent social media use according to the chapter?

A) Comprehensive monitoring of all digital communications combined with immediate restriction when any problematic content is encountered B) Complete abstinence from social media until age 18, replaced with structured offline social activities C) Protecting sleep, attending to specific signs of harm, maintaining open communication, and recognizing social media's genuine developmental benefits D) Unlimited social media use with education about online risks and media literacy

Question 21 The description of Velocity Media's "identity exploration" feature illustrates which tension in platform design for adolescents?

A) The tension between privacy protection and parental monitoring B) The tension between commercial engagement metrics and the developmental interests of adolescent users C) The tension between free speech principles and content moderation D) The tension between domestic regulatory requirements and international user bases

Question 22 The chapter's overall framework for understanding social media and adolescent identity formation emphasizes which conclusion?

A) Social media is uniformly harmful to adolescent identity development and should be restricted for all users under 18 B) Social media is neutral for identity development; its effects depend entirely on parental supervision quality C) Social media creates both genuine risks (algorithmic foreclosure, permanence, body image harms) and genuine opportunities (community for marginalized youth, rich exploration resources) that require differentiated rather than blanket responses D) The effects of social media on identity development are too small to measure and should not drive policy decisions

Answer Key

  1. B — Identity versus role confusion
  2. C — Identity foreclosure
  3. D — Identity achievement
  4. B — The collapse of distinct social audiences into a single undifferentiated audience for online content
  5. C — The permanent, searchable, shareable record of adolescent self-expression that removes the protection of impermanence
  6. B — Algorithms infer identity from early behavioral signals and reinforce that identity before genuine exploration is complete
  7. B — Active use and authentic self-presentation are both associated with better well-being
  8. B — Self-image is formed partly through perceiving how others respond to us, with engagement metrics functioning as a commercially-mediated mirror
  9. C — Negative psychological outcomes including cognitive dissonance and anxiety
  10. C — Algorithms responding to engagement signals serve progressively more intense content to users who engage with diet or fitness material
  11. B — A period in which society allows adolescents to explore roles without requiring adult-level commitment
  12. B — The context collapse problem and adolescents' strategies to maintain different presentations for different audiences
  13. C — Individual factors including pre-existing self-esteem, social comparison orientation, and type of social media use
  14. B — It reduces the capacity for solitude and reflection that genuine identity work requires
  15. B — They provide examples of possible selves, demonstrate ways of navigating challenges, and offer a sense of community
  16. B — Algorithms may direct adolescents toward progressively more extreme political content during identity formation
  17. B — They are acutely aware of permanence and potential reach, leading to strategic self-censorship
  18. B — New accounts expressing interest in sadness were quickly served progressively more intense depression and suicidality content
  19. C — Perceived authenticity is associated with better well-being, though authentic self-presentation carries its own risks
  20. C — Protecting sleep, attending to specific signs of harm, maintaining open communication, and recognizing social media's genuine benefits
  21. B — The tension between commercial engagement metrics and the developmental interests of adolescent users
  22. C — Social media creates both genuine risks and genuine opportunities that require differentiated rather than blanket responses