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Joss
comes across as a strong individualist, who, in the words of others,
‘thinks too much’ and, in his own words, doesn’t ‘go along with the
crowd’, ‘agree 100% with anyone’ or ‘trust anyone’. Joss’ individualism
is expressed through a number of vehicles and contexts: national
identity, faith, independence of thought and emotional
distance/independence. He conveys a strong sense of being ‘other’ in
the wider context of a Christian and sectarian Northern Ireland based
on both his family faith and national identity. The internet provided
access to support and friendship networks which were not readily
available to him locally or through school. Being different and removed
from mainstream popular culture set Joss apart and made him a target
for bullying at school. The learning environment and culture of Further
Education College suited Joss better and gave him confidence to express
himself more confidently and to focus on his ambitions to work within
the film and media industry. A very private person, Joss was reluctant
to talk about his emotions, relationships or sexuality for much of the
study. However, in later interviews, he talked about his bisexuality.
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