Navigating the Online Networks of Young Creators An Investigation of Digital Visual Learning

This volume examines how young creators learn, create, and share their visual art online. Drawing from a robust set of case studies gathered locally, nationally, and internationally over three years with young adults 16-24, this work comes together as a crucial resource for understanding the evolving landscape of online art creation and dissemination by young people. The influence of social media is central to this exploration of the continuous cycle of producing, circulating, and consuming of digital images, here designated as digital visual learning networks (DVLN). As technology remains an inherent part of daily activities, contributions provide insights into how young creators harness tools to learn, innovate, and share.

1. Introduction.- 2. Youth's Issues Regarding Identity.- 3. Digital Identities, Artistic Exploration and Pandemic Impacts: A Dual Perspective from High School Women.- 4. Young Creators: Mental Health and Digital Creative Art Practices.- 5. How Online Communities Foster Creative Practices in Queer and Neurodivergent Youth.- 6. How Young Creators Learn Online.- 7. Digital Dilemmas: Navigating Art Ownership and Copyright in Youth Online Practices.- 8. Artificial Intelligence Regarding Art Students' Visual Online Social Media Usage.- 9. Teaching: Integrating Social Media and Technology in the Contemporary Art Classroom.- 10. Conclusion.

Juan Carlos Castro is Professor of Art Education at Concordia University, Canada. His previous books include Mobile Media in and Outside of the Art Classroom: Attending to Identity, Spatiality, Movement, and Materiality (2019), Youth Practices in Digital Arts and New Media: Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (2015), and Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Considerations in Niche Online Communities (2014).

Joanna Black is Professor of Visual Art Education at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Her previous books include Youth Practices in Digital Arts and New Media: Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (2015).