Pond of
Self-Reflection
Our workshop participants were quite self-aware, and often used techniques for digital hygiene and detox to manage their time online, and self-reflect.
Forest of Solitude
Disconnection is a part of stay connected sustainably. Joys online included discussions on plugging out and away from dense connectivity- and find joy in solitude. Many stated that offline joy is unique, and the digital spaces help them rediscover these anew.
Tongue Trade Routes
Youth in India explore and enjoy digital spaces in many languages, including their mother tongue and regional languages. Participants explored digital spaces in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Odiya, Bangla and Hinglish- a unique mix of Hindi and English.
Stumbling upon memories is a uniquely digital joy. Young people use memories and archives to remember, and share moments with friends and family- strengthening online and offline community bonds.
Archive Bins
Data Center
Digital connectivity is enabled by real infrastructure, often invisible to us. The data center on the outskirts of our digital city is a reminder of the infratrcture enabling all activities on the internet.
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Connectivity Hub
The center of our digital city, the hub is densely connected and full of groups. Work and professional growth are explored here, and links to the online world are tight.
Agents Glow
Youth exercise their agency online in many ways- they game the algorithm to get what they want, organise their digital life against persuasion and deception from online platforms, and create pathways for learning and growth.
Communities of friends form across platforms and informal networks- leveraging these for developing new interests, for social work, recipes to share, gain life advice, navigate education and health, share multiple media types- forming several community groups all for different kinds of fulfilment.
Friend Zone
The Exploring Digital Joys project examines how young people in India experience joy online. Through a participatory workshop, it provided a space to explore the diverse joys of digital life and their visual and spatial mapping, identify digital ‘playgrounds’ where new joyful experiences emerge, understand how young people find communities online, and use participatory art and design methods to create a digital map of joyful spaces.
About the City of Digital Joys
The insights and perspectives gained from the workshop inspired us to produce the “City of Digital Joys” artwork, a vibrant co-created design output that captures the digital joys experienced by young people in India. It is a vibrant metaphorical landscape which represents the diverse ways young people in India seek joy and connection online.
Youth in India explore and enjoy digital spaces in many languages, including their mother tongue and regional languages. Participants explored digital spaces in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Odiya, Bangla and Hinglish- a unique mix of Hindi and English.
Our workshop participants were quite self-aware, and often used techniques for digital hygiene and detox to manage their time online, and self-reflect.
Disconnection is a part of staying connected sustainably. Joys online included discussions on plugging out and away from dense connectivity- and finding joy in solitude. Many stated that offline joy is unique, and the digital spaces help them rediscover these anew.
Stumbling upon memories is a uniquely digital joy. Young people use memories and archives to remember, and share moments with friends and family- strengthening online and offline community bonds.
Communities of friends form across platforms and informal networks- leveraging these for developing new interests, for social work, recipes to share, gain life advice, navigate education and health, share multiple media types- forming several community groups all for different kinds of fulfilment.
Digital connectivity is enabled by real infrastructure, often invisible to us. The data center on the outskirts of our digital city is a reminder of the infrastructure enabling all activities on the internet.
The center of our digital city, the hub is densely connected and full of groups. Work and professional growth are explored here, and links to the online world are tight.
Youth exercise their agency online in many ways- they game the algorithm to get what they want, organise their digital life against persuasion and deception from online platforms, and create pathways for learning and growth.
© 2025 Udisha Madan and The Pranava Institute.
All Rights Reserved
About
The City of Digital Joys is a collaboration between The Pranava Institute and Udisha Madan, backed by The INCLUDE+ Network at the University of Leeds, UK.
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