Social media and identity

At the stage where a young adult becomes an emerging adult, individuals are especially influenced by social media. Psychologists study methods of self-presentation to determine how a user's patterns and media participation affects their own identity. Young adults, through media literacies, can also find their identity as a part of social group, such as feminists.[3] These studies are connected to building frameworks for educators on teaching media literacies.[1] Due to their fluency in media literacy, young people often contribute to these larger social identities through their networks, and unique style of communication when sharing information.[3]

Young Individuals have been found to be affected at what they take in on Social Media. Psychologists believe that at a time when young adults are coming into adolescence, that they are more likely to be influenced by what they see on sites like Instagram or Twitter. More so directed towards the times of Identity Formation. Media Imagery, in particular, is said to be a major influence on the minds of young men and women. Studies have shown that it is even more relevant when it comes to the issue of body image. [4] Social Media, partially, has been created to host safe haven to those that do not claim a solid identity in the material world, giving chance for exploration of other identities in the virtual concept. Psychologists and Scholars have noted that past identities can not easily be escaped from; the Internet is more permanent.[5]

The definition of media literacy has evolved over time to encompass the range of experiences that occur in social media or other digital spaces. Currently, media literacy includes being able to understand, apply, and share digital images and messages.[6] Educators teach media literacy skills because of the vulnerable relationship that young adults have with social media.[2] Some examples of media literacy practices, particularly on Twitter, include using hashtags, live tweeting, and sharing information.[3]

People create images of themselves to present to the public, a process called self presentation. Depending on the demographic, presenting oneself as authentic can result in identity clarity.[1] Methods of self presentation can also be influenced by geography. The framework for this relationship between a user's location and their social media presentation is called the spatial self.[7] Users depict their spatial self in order to include their physical space as a part of their self presentation to an audience.[7]

The audience

Audience interaction will change the way people present themselves on social media platforms. [8]

The different platform affordances of social media sites can both enable and constrain the options users have for presenting themselves. Initially coined by Gibson (1966), Affordances, broadly, can be defined as “describing what material artefacts such as media technologies allow people to do”. [1] This can therefore be applied to how users of social media construct identity, through the ways in which social media sites provide users with opportunities for self-presentation.

For example, Instagram requires users to create a profile when they register an account. In this, they require a username, profile photo, biography and more recently, the option to present the users chosen pronoun. However, none of these identifiable aspects need to be factual, and - unlike Facebook which requires users to register with their legal name - Instagram users can use pseudonyms or made-up usernames and profile pictures - giving them the ability to construct whichever identity they choose to present.