Identity In The Age Of Social Media
In an era where social media is the main stage of social life, to curate a digital persona has become a necessity. However, behind the filters and editing, lies a complex interplay of false identity and the pursuit of validation. Why do we curate identities for social media? And what effect does it have on us?
Sociologist Erving Goffman’s 1956 book “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life” was a ground-breaking contribution to our present understanding of human behavior. In the book, Goffman proposes that all human interaction, especially those of social purposes, has a certain theatricality to it. Goffman imagines individuals as actors on a stage, playing the role of a character, with the intent to impress each other and avoid embarrassment, by changing manners and appearance.
This argument captured the attention of many and deepened people’s empathy to the complexity we all experience as part of the human condition. We are all, in some ways, actors on the stage of life, playing out a role that fits specific situations and settings. Since its publication, Goffman’s thesis has been extended to take into account social media which has since become one of the main stages of social interaction. Once an activity of leisure, social media has since expanded to become a part of human life. We interact with more people on social media than we do in real life.
Goffman’s argument uses theater terminology to explain social interaction. There is a front region or the stage, where performers are in front of an audience. In our daily lives, this region may be our workplaces, appointments at the doctor and the outside world in general. It is where the positive aspects of the idea of self and desired impressions are highlighted. There is also the back region or the backstage, where individuals can prepare for or set aside their roles. This is the comfort of our homes, our personal lives where we can free ourselves from the performance of roles.
The problem with social media is that it imposes upon this “backstage”. It requires us to sacrifice the solitude of our personal lives and so we play yet another role: our digital persona.
In the terrain of the social media world, an individual’s online presence has now become a powerful presentation of their identity. People often curate their digital personas to attract a certain audience. Often this digital person is curated through the use of images. Images deliver a vivid visual story of feelings, events and intentions.
Visual-centric social media networks such as Instagram, snapchat, and tik tok are growing popular everyday and have promoted the importance of images in presenting oneself online. These applications have also enhanced the way content is consumed and shared, by introducing filters, editing tools and other features that further shape our online personas.
For some digital personas have become an occupation. From fashion bloggers, fitness influencers and tik tok celebrities, these influencers have used their digital personas to build a dedicated fan base, who regard them as pioneers in their fields. This leads to people wanting to pursue an ideal digital persona; an illusion of perfection.
Other motivations for curating online identities on social media could be due to seeking validation and approval from peers. People may feel insecure with their real life and hence turn to digital life where they can carefully control their personalities and how others perceive them. Social media is also a form of escapism for some, where they can make up a complete other by changing their appearance and details. Such cases often lead to the prevalent matter of catfishing; an activity in which individuals assume a false identity with the intention of pursuing romantic relationships online. Overall, digital personas become a coping mechanism for insecurity and low self-esteem.
