Teens, including young teens, are using digital tools, including social networking sites at a rapidly growing pace (Madden, Lenhart, & Duggan, 2013). However, few studies have addressed the social networking practices of young teens. In this study, I attempted to address a gap in the current literature by investigating the online identity construction of a 14 year-old female who avidly participated on social networking sites. The purpose of this study was to examine a mid-adolescent’s use of social networking and what this use might reveal about her identity construction. The following questions guided the research:

• What are a mid-adolescent’s thoughts as she decides what to post on social networking sites to represent herself?

• What do the tools and social practices she uses reveal about her online identity construction?

• What kinds of identities does she present on social networking sites?

This study was grounded in a sociocultural understanding of language, particularly that language and thought are culturally derived (Vygotsky, 1986) constructs that shape and are shaped by human activity (Cole, 2003; Wertsch, 1991). Through a sociocultural view of identity, I recognized that identity is a social construct in which mid-adolescents often experience conflict (Harter, 2012) as they try to integrate a fragmented, or “kaleidoscopic” (p. 94) sense of self into a cohesive sense of self.

I used a qualitative single case study design (Merriam, 2009) to investigate the social networking practices of the participant. Data collection included semi-structured interviews; think-aloud verbal protocols while using social networking sites; informal phone or instant messaging interactions between the participant and researcher; participant and researcher journals; and participant’s posts to social networking sites. Using a systematic recursive qualitative method (LeCompte, 2000) informed by Saldaña’s (2009) coding recommendations, I found that the participant adhered to perceived online social conventions and used a variety of digital literacy tools to present socially acceptable filtered identities across three Social Networking Sites (SNS). Findings suggest that a mid-adolescent would benefit from opportunities to use digital communication skills in school to present an academic identity in school-related online spaces.