Social media has become a huge part of how we communicate, but it also allows us to carefully manage how we come across to others. From choosing the perfect Instagram photo, to creating a curated personality on TikTok, our online identities rarely reflect our full selves and we often show selected versions of who we are.
This links to Erving Goffman’s theory of self-presentation (Goffman, 1959, cited in Hogan, 2010), where he compares everyday social interactions to a performance and suggests that people change the impression they create depending on their audience. For example, my Instagram mostly features holidays, celebrations and being out with friends, while leaving out things I deem less exciting or which remind me of difficult times. This doesn’t mean my posts are fake, just that I choose what parts of my life I want people to see.
Bernie Hogan (2010) develops Goffman’s ideas, identifying the difference between how we perform in person and online presences. Unlike a real time conversation, online profiles allow content to be edited and viewed repeatedly, making identity creation more purposeful. Users can select, remove and rearrange content until they’re happy with how they’re represented to an audience that they may never meet in person. I find this interesting because Instagram profiles can become photo galleries of a person’s highlights.
However, individuals aren’t the only influence on how identities are presented. McLuhan’s (2006) idea that ‘the medium is the message’ suggests that the platform itself influences how we communicate. Instagram encourages visual presentation and aesthetics, whereas TikTok focuses more on videos and trends. This also links to Williams’ (Laughey, 2007) discussion of technology and cultural form, which challenges the idea that technology alone determines society – technology develops within existing social and cultural conditions, while also influencing them. For example, Instagram’s focus on visual content reflects wider cultural interests in appearance and lifestyle, but it may also encourage people to place more importance on these things because platforms can reinforce these expectations. This means the way we present ourselves online isn’t just down to our own choices, but is also influenced by the platforms we use.
I also think the reactions we get online contribute to how we present ourselves. Likes, comments and views can encourage people to post more of what gets a positive response. Over time, this could influence what someone considers attractive, interesting or acceptable to share. This raises the question of whether people are presenting themselves mainly for their own enjoyment, or increasingly changing their identities to meet the expectations of others. If the version of ourselves that receives the most positive response is one we continue to present, could this eventually influence how we see ourselves outside of social media?
In conclusion, I don’t think constructing an online identity necessarily means being fake. We all behave differently depending on who we’re with; we all ‘code-switch’ in some form. Social media is another place to manage how we’re perceived, but there’s a difference between choosing what to share and feeling pressure to maintain a certain image. Maybe the better question isn’t whether our online identities are fake, but whether the versions of ourselves we create influence who we become in real life.
References:
Hogan, B. (2010) ‘The presentation of self in the age of social media: Distinguishing performances and exhibitions online’, Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 30(6), pp. 377–386. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467610385893.
Laughey, D. (2007) Key Themes in Media Theory. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
McLuhan, M. (2006) ‘The medium is the message’, in Durham, M.G. and Kellner, D.M. (eds.) Media and Cultural Studies: KeyWorks. Revised edn. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 107–116.
