The Presentation of Profiles in Everyday Life: Identity Formation in the Digital Age

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of social media profiles on identity formation. My analysis shines a light on the dynamics of self presentation and profile curation on social media. Through this analysis, I examine the extent to which the online self forms the basis for the offline self and personal identity at large, and the ways in which social and economic forces produce such a development. Previous research has looked at the ways in which online and offline selves interact within the social context they are situated in, and has set a framework for analyzing the role of individual agency in identity formation in an increasingly digital world. Through in-depth interviews of 5 young adult social media users, this study addresses the following question: In what ways is social media a site of self creation along with self expression? Overall, the relationship between self expression and identity formation on social media is complex and warrants further examination, as this study reveals the deluge of mediating factors behind acts of self expression and, therefore, behind personal identity.