The Tension of Real and Digital Personas: Exploring Subjectivity in Interactive Storytelling Platforms for Children

This article explores how digital media, particularly interactive storytelling platforms, transforms children’s engagement with narratives and identity formation. Unlike traditional, passive storytelling, digital environments allow children to shape and personalize their experiences, offering new avenues for self-expression and identity experimentation. Platforms such as video games and interactive storytelling apps enable children to explore various roles, test multiple facets of their identity, and navigate complex social interactions. However, while these platforms present opportunities for agency, they are also governed by algorithms and social norms that can limit true autonomy and reinforce stereotypes. This creates a tension between personalization and platform constraints, raising important questions about the authenticity of identity development in digital spaces. This article critically examines the implications of digital storytelling, acknowledging both its empowering potential and the risks of superficial identity construction driven by external validation and commercial interests. Specifically, this study investigates how interactive storytelling platforms such as Minecraft Story Mode, Toca Life World, and augmented reality tools like Quivervision and AR Flashcards influence children’s engagement with narratives and their subjectivity formation, analyzing both the afforded agency and inherent limitations. The study calls for a deeper understanding of how digital media shapes children’s self-concept and identity in the age of interactive technology.