In the digital age, our identities are being ravelled with the online parallel realm. It is a very complex and dynamic process from using screens and avatars to shaping our identities and it deserves our attention. Let’s explore this together!
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Tiktok make us present the best versions of ourselves, this is the theory of Goffman which shows that it’s not just a complex idea; it’s something we all engage with in our online lives, shaping the way we present ourselves to the world. It lets us share our ideas, interests and experiences. Every tweet, the tone of your post, likes, shares, comments and who you follow and of course, your profile picture contributes to your digital identity that represents you. Consider how you are already reflected based on what you have left. Most people carefully choose what they can and cannot post to create their persona. It is like painting on a canvas of my own digital identity, I can choose the themes, different colours and even the brush strokes that represent me at the end that mirror my identity.
Currently, uniqueness plays one of the most crucial roles in how we shape our online identities. Some people prefer to share their real lives and other people prefer to create their own authentic identities. These two approaches reflect how the digital world is very diverse and they allow us to keep adjusting and redefining our digital identity, this means that we could be an open book or maintain the mystery as a form of privacy.
Also, having a crush or family members on our social media affects our identity, people can post just to impress their crush and share something they know interests for example if they like coffee they would post a story about a specific cafe to make them interact with them. Sometimes, having a family member can also restrict how we present ourselves, of course, it’s different from one person to another. Influencers can shape our digital identities too, they can change our interests, values and choices. Erving Goffman’s theory ”The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” which is usually used in sociology, explains how people create their online identities. They can manage their self-presentation to create specific impressions and maintain a desired image in the eyes of others. It is also described as a “guiding light.” This means that it serves as a guiding principle or foundation for understanding the core concept of digital identity.
Virtually, we can find digital communities where people with similar interests and backgrounds can unite and support one another. Whether you are interested in books or even a political party, these communities help embrace their unique identities.
Also, our digital identities are frequently updated and in some cases, it completely changes, just like in the real world. It can be affected by the evolving internet and new experiences every day and it’s absolutely normal where we can experiment and grow. In this ever-changing environment, we have the freedom to explore and express ourselves
We can create our unique online identities and join digital tribes so we can keep evolving. It’s an interesting journey, where we can be anyone we want and keep discovering ourselves through time.
References:
Goffman, E. (1978) The presentation of self in everyday life. Penguin Books: Harmondsworth.
BBC Radio 4 (2015). Erving Goffman and the Performed Self. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z0XS-QLDWM.
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). How Our Identities Are Socially Constructed | Florencia Escobedo Munoz | TEDxColegioAngloColombiano. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/uIuJT1n2vRY?si=kJZ7P3cXU61B4mjh [Accessed 6 Nov. 2023].
I was glad to read that “having a crush or family members on our social media affects our identity, people can post just to impress their crush and share something they know interests”. This sentence opened up a new thought process for me. It made me think of fans who are obsessed with popular celebrities or artists and know that their family members follow them on social media. To impress their family members, they attend offline parties or share posts about their interests related to these stars, even if they have no actual connection to the artist. But these people seem to me to be in the minority, and it is interesting to note that most people are always wary of what they say, or don’t want to be easily exposed, or shy away from expressing it in the online media, in contrast to those who desperately want to be seen.
Your post is hitting the nail on the head on how identity management can affect the way people show up on social media. I like how you used the comparison of the brushstrokes of a painting. To a certain extent though I wonder if you can actually subvert that by making a conscious effort to use these social media platforms i a way that doesn’t make it polished? I.e the push for casual-using social media again and “photo dumps”. Finally I would like to ask you, has something which you have found exclusively online shaped your real life identity in anyway, like being part of a fandom?