When I scroll through Instagram, I’m never just sharing a photo, I’m performing. Every caption, filter and pose becomes a small decision about how I want to be seen. Online, identity isn’t something we simply have, it’s something we build and adjust through small choices, edits and reactions. The more I post, the more I realize how much my sense of self depends on what gets attention and what doesn’t. It sometimes feels like my identity exists somewhere between the camera and the audience. Erving Goffman once described everyday life as a kind of stage where people perform for others while keeping part of themselves hidden. That idea makes a lot of sense to me when I think about how we live online today.
This diagram shows what Goffman (1959) meant by self-presentation. Our front stage is the version we share through posts and profiles, while the backstage, the private side, keeps getting smaller. On social media, it is easy to forget where performance ends and real life begins.
Sherry Turkle (2011) argues that digital technology allows us to carefully manage our identities. We can choose what to reveal, delete what feels wrong, and shape the version of ourselves that others see. This level of control gives a sense of freedom, but it also traps us in a cycle of self-presentation. Even authenticity becomes something to curate. It is no longer just about being yourself but being the kind of “real” that performs well.
One of the clearest examples of this is MrBeast, one of the most successful online creators today. His videos are filled with grand gestures: giving away cars, building houses for strangers, or offering massive prizes in elaborate challenges. On the surface, these moments seem spontaneous and generous, but behind the scenes, every second is carefully planned. The camera angles, pacing, music and emotional reactions are all designed to maximise attention and engagement. His kindness feels real, but it is also a performance shaped by what the algorithm rewards.
MrBeast’s content shows how digital identity is built not just through personality but through production. His videos construct a version of himself that is simultaneously authentic and strategic. He presents generosity as entertainment, transforming moral values into clickable moments. The performance of giving becomes part of his brand, and his fans connect to that performance because it feels sincere even when it is highly produced. This reflects Scannell’s (2007) point that media technologies structure social experience by blending the everyday with the spectacular.
At the same time, MrBeast’s approach reveals something hopeful about digital identity. He uses the same system that often encourages superficiality to spread messages of community, positivity and help for others. Millions of people are drawn to his work not just because of the spectacle but because it expresses a desire to do good in a connected world. In that sense, performance does not always mean deception,it can also be a way to inspire action.
Thinking about this makes me realise that performing the self online is not entirely negative. It is part of how people make meaning and connect with others in digital spaces. The challenge is not to stop performing but to do it consciously, to understand how platforms shape the versions of ourselves we present. We may not be able to escape the stage, but we can choose what kind of role we want to play on it.
Reference：
Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Anchor Books.
Scannell, P. (2007) Media and Communication. London: SAGE Publications, pp. 145–168.
Turkle, S. (2011) Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. New York: Basic Books.
I really like how you describe the tension between performance and authenticity online. As you said, we can’t escape the stage — every post becomes part of how we present ourselves. I agree that this performance has two sides. On one hand, it may not always be fully “real,” since we constantly adjust what we show through words and images. But on the other hand, as your example of MrBeast illustrates, performance can also have positive effects. It adds entertainment, invites participation, and makes digital interaction more engaging.Sometimes, this kind of performance can even help us express our emotions and ideas more vividly — almost like a “benevolent illusion.” Even if it’s not completely authentic, it can still reveal something true about our inner world and how we connect with others. —Jingyun