Social Media and Identity

With a never before seen level of prominence, Social media has, over (roughly) the last decade, become a fascinating means of observing and understanding peoples identities. The enormous role that it plays in peoples lives today provides new insight into both the ways people are connected, and the way they present themselves to the outside world.

So, what does it mean for us as avid participators and spectators of social networking?

Interestingly, some of the most important questions that have arisen from social media pertain to much older questions. Namely, how people identify and present themselves in relation to the world around them (Donath, Boyd 2004). Under this consideration, a remarkable metaphor arises. Goffman (1959), proposes that peoples identities are in-fact, performances, on a stage of sorts. Pearson (2009), extrapolates on the metaphor further, suggesting that there are front-stages and back-stages in our everyday life (which are symbolic of the nature of the various social encounters we have daily). She suggests that a significant amount of our true identity is lost in the new platform of online social transactions.

If it is true that our identities online “are represented by the language of (our) avatars” (Pearson 2009). We, as users of such platforms, must then recognise the limitations of this form of communication. By being aware of the possibility for abuse, we can truly benefit from these communication tools.

References:

Donath, J. and boyd, d. 2004. Public displays of connection. BT Technology Journal, volume 22 (4): 71-82.

Goffman, E. 1959. The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday.

Pearson, E. 2009. All the World Wide Web’s a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks. First Monday, volume 14, Number 3.