Culture

Eva Karadjian

Be Yourself, But Like This: Curated Narratives, Participation, and Power in Digital Subcultures

A headshot of a young woman with warm skin, long brown hair parted down the middle, and brown eyes. She has a small silver stud piercing on her right nostril and a gentle, natural smile. She is wearing a white button-up shirt with thin dark vertical stripes, unbuttoned at the collar to reveal a black top underneath and a silver necklace with a small smiling figure pendant. The background is an out-of-focus indoor setting.

Eva Karadjian is a fourth-year Professional Communication student at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her academic interests focus on the cultural foundations of communication and how communication functions as a tool for storytelling. She is particularly interested in how storytelling and communication influence cultural perspectives and the ways people engage with media. Alongside her academic work, Eva has a strong creative interest in photography and creative direction. She sees the intersection of creative practice and communication strategy as a powerful way to explore and tell meaningful stories, and build strong brand identities. By combining strategic and creative perspectives, Eva is passionate about producing work that communicates ideas visually, emotionally, and culturally across digital platforms. 

This research examines how digital subcultures, specifically on TikTok, shape participation and belonging through curated narratives, aesthetics, and shared practices. The study analyzes recurring trends, language, and visual styles within selected subcultural communities to understand how participation norms are created, communicated, and interpreted by users. It explores whether participation in these curated environments stem  from users’ desire to deepen authentic identity or from peer-driven expectations to conform. Through conducting a series of qualitative analyses and literature review, this study aims to understand how these dynamics influence perceptions of authenticity, belonging, and participation within digital subcultures. 

Lightning Talk

Browse More Culture Research

More Projects

A headshot of a smiling young woman with medium skin tone and long, dark, curly hair. She has a nose piercing on her right nostril, natural eye makeup, and light pink lipstick. She is wearing a black one-shoulder top and a gold necklace with an initial pendant, set against a plain light grey background.

Tia Johal

How Unrealistic Beauty Standards on TikTok Impact the Mental Health of Female Users
A close-up headshot of a young woman with warm skin, long dark wavy hair parted in the middle, and a subtle smile. Her brown eyes look directly at the viewer. She is wearing a cream-colored, ribbed quarter-zip sweater with a white t-shirt visible underneath, and an 'alo' logo on the zipper pull. The background is a soft, out-of-focus indoor setting.

Zara Muhsin

The Implementation of Artificial Intelligence in Students Creative Process
A close-up portrait of a fair-skinned young man with messy, light brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a light brown stubble beard and mustache. He wears a dark charcoal-colored textured zip-up sweater with a gold-colored zipper over a white t-shirt. He is smiling gently, and the background is a softly blurred mix of light and dark tones, suggesting an indoor setting.

Adam Jones

Building Brand Relationships in the Digital Age: The Impact of Social Media Content on Consumer Engagement and Trust
Scroll to Top