How Social Media Shapes Identity

Summary

This talk explores how social media and digital technologies shape our identities and behaviors. Using examples from Facebook and Second Life, the speaker highlights how algorithms, anonymity, and virtual avatars influence how we present ourselves, interact with others, and perceive our own identities. Key concepts include the co-constitutive relationship between humans and technology, where technology both enables and constrains identity expression, and the role of embedded discourses—market, play, and sociality—that structure possibilities for action. The presentation underscores the complex interplay of freedom, limitation, and multiple identity performances, encouraging reflection on how technology shapes who we are and who we can become.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social media algorithms often determine visibility, as seen when Facebook posts go unnoticed due to ranking algorithms, which can shape what we believe about our social presence.
• 😀 The rise of online anonymity allows users to express themselves in more extreme or unfamiliar ways, highlighting the shift in self-presentation in digital spaces.
• 😀 Technology and users have a **co-constitutive relationship**, meaning we shape technology, but technology also shapes who we are and how we present ourselves.
• 😀 The introduction of **ethnic emojis** by Apple materializes racial identity in communication, raising questions about how we convey race and cultural identity in digital spaces.
• 😀 **Discourses** in technology create certain logics or systems of thought that guide how users perform their identities. In social media, these discourses can include market, play, and sociality.
• 😀 In virtual spaces like Second Life, the **avatar** plays a key role in identity construction. The way we dress, move, and associate in virtual worlds is essential for expressing who we are.
• 😀 The **market discourse** in virtual worlds and social media defines individuals as either **producers** or **consumers**, shaping how users view themselves as brands or products.
• 😀 The **play discourse** focuses on exploring alternative identities or versions of the self, allowing users to experiment and create new personas, separate from their real lives.
• 😀 **Sociality discourse** defines identity through relationships and social roles, emphasizing **real-life connections** and the emotional authenticity users bring into virtual spaces.
• 😀 Contradictions between these discourses create tensions in user identity. For example, **entrepreneurs** may struggle to balance work demands and social interactions, leading to hybrid identities.
• 😀 Technology **limits the range of identities** users can express but also allows freedom. Inconsistent discourses within technology create a dynamic space for multiple and complex identities.

Q & A

What are the two initial social media scenarios described in the transcript?

The first scenario involves posting on Facebook and receiving no engagement due to the algorithm limiting visibility. The second scenario involves participating anonymously in an online community, leading to bolder or more reckless behavior than usual.

What research question is the speaker particularly interested in?

The speaker is focused on understanding how social media and technology shape our identities, how we present ourselves to others, and how others perceive us.

What does the term 'co-constitutive relationship' mean in the context of technology and identity?

It means that humans construct technology, but technology also shapes humans. Our identities are influenced by the capabilities and limitations of the technologies we use.

How do emojis illustrate the relationship between technology and identity?

Ethnic emojis allow users to express racial identities through technology, but they also racialize communication by creating expectations about how users express themselves online.

Why is Second Life used as a research context in the study?

Second Life is used because it provides a wide range of expressive media, including avatars, text, voice, and video, which allows researchers to study complex identity construction in a controlled virtual environment.

What is a 'discourse,' according to the transcript?

A discourse is a system of thought or logic that shapes how people understand the world, create identities, and determine possibilities for action. In technology, discourses are embedded in platforms and tools.

What are the three dominant discourses identified in Second Life?

The three dominant discourses are: 1) Market discourse, where identity is tied to being a producer or consumer; 2) Play discourse, which allows exploration of alternative selves; 3) Sociality discourse, where identity is shaped by social roles and relationships.

How do contradictions between discourses affect identity performance?

Contradictions create tensions, such as balancing social obligations with productivity, but they also allow users to blend discourses creatively, resulting in complex, multiple, and interrelated identities.

What example illustrates the blending of discourses in Second Life?

An entrepreneur designing virtual products might adopt a playful identity, such as Nico the cat persona, to manage social interactions while maintaining productivity, blending market and play discourses.

What is the main takeaway about social media and identity from the transcript?

Social media enables and constrains identity performance. Users should reflect on how technology shapes the actions they can take and the identities they can perform, as it both limits and provides freedom within its structures.

How does sociality discourse differ from play discourse in Second Life?

Sociality discourse emphasizes authentic interactions and obligations toward others, whereas play discourse focuses on exploring alternative selves without real-life constraints.

What role does the virtual body play in identity construction?

The virtual body, or avatar, is central to expressing identity in Second Life. It shapes how users dress, move, associate with others, and perform roles, allowing experimentation with identity beyond real-life limitations.