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The Social Self in Digital Context

From early interactions with caretakers and siblings to professional interaction with communities, coworkers, and management, individuals constantly creates and use their social selves. The social self is a component of self concept that can refer to a many things, including how people perceive themselves in relation to those around them, how they portray themselves to others, and which version of their real self they adopt depending on the situation. This might include characteristics like shyness or charming ability, as well as group identification and dynamics. Furthermore, the version of a person's social self alters depending on who they relate to, such as parents, teachers, friends and teammates (Atlas, 2023). Possessing many social selves and maintaining the appropriate face based on the social circumstance appears to be either chaotic or peaceful. In attempts to maintain order among different variants of social Self, an individual's feeling of "fame" or "honour" governs and determines what behaviours are or are not moral, reasonable, or honourable (James, 1890).

Social Self in Digital Context: Overview

The rise of social media has provided unparalleled opportunities for self-expression and identity exploration, allowing individuals to share views and opinions of their identities with a global audience (Boyd, 2014). With social media platforms providing social feedback loop, individuals constantly change and convey their self-image based on the reactions and impressions of others. This process contributes to the dynamic of James' theory.

Multiple digital Selves

Various media platforms served distinct purposes, allowing individuals to connect with different audiences and present different version of themselves (McClain, 2023). For instance, LinkedIn is a social networking platform primarily for business community, a site for job applications and building professional connections (Hanna, n.d.). Individuals displays their professionalism and expertise on areas of interest. In contrast, individuals on Instagram often to share either a polished or authentic version of self (Kacar, 2023). This alligns with James' belief that individuals has several social selves tailored to each social situation.

Curated Self-Presentation

Self presentation theory by Goffman (1959) addresses how individuals utilise verbal and non-verbal cues to project a specific image of themselves in society. As individuals have various interpersonal aims and wants, such as the need for social approval (DeAndrea et al., 2011), they tend to communicate in a way that makes them appear favourable during social interactions. On social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram, users implement different strategies to project an idealized image of themselves in the hopes of receiving positive feedback and social approval of others in the form of likes, comments, retweets or by gaining new followers (Hollenbaugh, 2021). For instance, prior to posting on Instagram, users enhances the photos to fit the public aesthetic. Users curate their responses in the comments section to showcase a more polished version of themselves, whether in terms of appearance or taste (Chen, 2023). Furthermore, to evoke a more favourable response, users may participate in strategic self-presentation, such as changing images or deleting information that does not obtain the appropriate amount of likes (Hjetland et al., 2022). This process reflects James' theory that people portray a self that is formed by the expectations and opinions of others.

Digital Feedback loop and Social Self

The transition from gaming and bulletin boards to chat rooms and ultimately, social media served as an environment for people to judge and be judged by others. People are judged by their digital selves based on what they post on their profiles, which includes their thoughts, appearance, behaviour, and location. People have come to "friend" or accept others as followers; to review and be evaluated through "likes" or "comments"; or to be trolled, blocked, or reportedd (Tonks, 2021). These feedbacks significantly affects ones social self. Positive feedbacks promotes feeling of social connectedness (Voggenreiter et al., 2023)and leads to reinforcemnt of self image that individuals aim to project. For instance, receiving positive reactions from others (likes, comments) reinforces this self-presentation, encouraging individuals to keep posting similar contents. Whereas negative feedbacks gradually damage someone's self-esteem. Constant criticism and humiliation cause individuals to doubt their abilities, attractiveness, and worth, resulting in a low self-image (Cuncic, 2022). This often changes how self is presented to others.

Anonymity and Social Self

Online anonymity acts as a shield, allowing people to secure their privacy and to freely express themselves without fear of consequences. It creates an environment in which people can participate in debates, criticise views, and share information without revealing their identities (Gemma, 2023). In digital settings, such as in online gaming, anonymity enables one to discover different aspects of the game without fear of being judged or mocked. It also provides the opportunity to experiment strategies and techniques without the pressure of failing (Suba, 2023). In these settings, individuals display their competitive persona in contrast with offline (in-person) interactions where one is more reserved (Lieberman & Schroeder, 2020). On platforms like Reddit, individuals join in discussions without concern for their real world identity. This freedom encourages confidence, enabling one to to speak openly about their difficulties or discuss a quirky passion that they may be embarrassed to reveal to their whole social network. In other words, Reddit's anonymity allows one to be more intimate, real, and authentic (Stager, 2019)

Conclusion

The concept of the social self, originally developed by William James, continues to assist us understand how people adjust their identities to various social circumstances. However, in the internet age, people's techniques of presenting, performing, and editing their social selves have become more ambivalent, reflective of online platforms' fast feedback loops, anonymity, and tailored self-presentation. James' theory, applied to social network research, emphasises the malleability of the self both online and in physical space.

References

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