© 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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About the Project
About Digital Joys
By leveraging design as a powerful tool, we conducted a virtual participatory workshop for youth aged 18-28 years, where 15 enthusiastic young participants shared their diverse perspectives on various 'digital playgrounds' and their unique ways of exploring joy online. The key findings which emerged from the workshop are as follows:
01
Young people today navigate a complex digital landscape, deriving joy from a variety of platforms and content. They derive joy from these platforms by curating their digital experiences for specific purposes. Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Reddit are some of the most commonly inhabited digital spaces.
02
Young people in India consume different types of content on digital platforms across the day including, images, texts, videos (short and long form), blogs, vlogs, livestreams, etc. Preference towards certain types of content or platforms varies depending on the time of the day/night.
03
Young people increasingly find their communities online, a trend exacerbated during the pandemic. Participants explored different ways of finding online communities that they feel ‘a part of’. Individuals feel a sense of belongingness in smaller, tight-knit communities that resonate with them, instead of larger ones. Young people derive joy in staying connected with their close ones on the internet by sharing regular updates throughout the day.
04
Young individuals are mindful of their digital experiences. Their ability to understand persuasive design patterns helps them to override these patterns and use it for their own benefit. Youth try to engage in different detox methods to handle overwhelming digital experiences.
05
Young people in India seek different ways to stay connected to their cultures and reclaim their identities. Diversity in their digital joys is shaped by language, region, media, access, and gender. Young individuals find more joy in digital experiences specific to their native language, culture or region.
06
Organising digital lives, striking a balance between online vs offline time, gamifying the algorithms, and curating digital experiences are some ways in which young individuals reclaim their agency on digital platforms to experience joy on the internet.
07
While challenges like algorithm manipulation and digital overload exist, young people are able to navigate the complex digital landscape by developing strategies to reclaim agency and well-being.
Our Team
This project is a collaboration between The Pranava Institute and Udisha Madan.
Titiksha Vashist
Co-Founder & Research Lead
The Pranava Institute
Shyam Krishnakumar
Co-Founder
The Pranava Institute
Dhanyashri K
Design Researcher
The Pranava Institute
Udisha Madan
Brand Designer & Illustrator
Independent
A glimpse into the residency at Leeds
The Exploring Digital Joys project was presented at The INCLUDE+Art residency and annual event by Titiksha Vashist, Co-Founder of The Pranava Institute and Udisha Madan. The IN+ ART fellows from across the world shared valuable perspectives on "digital spaces" in the context of community, togetherness, and well-being during a workshop focused on our project.
© 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.