Mask off ☒ Mask on ☑
Just like identity construction in the offline world, the internet provides digital users a platform to create new or different selves online. The question is…how far can our imagination run before real and fake become indistinguishable?
It’s an influencer’s world
“There is performance and self-presentation everywhere” (Turkle, 2017, p.272)
Turkle draws on how the virtual world allows us to experiment with various identities. Her observations extend Goffman’s (1959) conceptualisation of presentation of the self; our ability to perform and manage impressions under various situations. In her TED talk, Turkle mentions “posting…let[s] us present the self we want to be” (Turkle, 2012, 6:65). It is human nature to be liked by others, therefore presenting a desirable version of ourselves is not uncommon.
A similar phenomenon is discussed in Crystal Abidin’s (2018) book ‘Celebrity Online’ which explores the rise of users adopting an ‘influencer’ persona via social media to obtain fame. Abidin (2015) defines influencers as everyday people who “accumulate a relatively large following on…social media through…textual and visual narration of their personal lives” (para.1). He argues influencers’ engagement with their followers is central to their material success and lavish lifestyles.
“Whenever one has time to edit…there is room for performance” (Turkle, 2017) “we get to retouch the face, the voice…the body” (Turkle, 2012)
The majority of influencers use editing apps to enhance their appearance portraying their ideal selves — they are not who they appear to be. This links to Baudrillard’s (1994) theory of hyperreality; edited versions of reality distorts our perception of the truth leaving us unable to differentiate real from fake. Khamis et al., (2017) claim influencers strive to construct a micro-celebrity, “non-actors as performers” (Senft, 2008, p.16) status, whilst maintaining to appear genuine, manipulating people into believing they are authentic.
It is debatable that this perceived authenticity leads to ordinary people imitating narcissistic performances, thus promoting a ‘show-off’ culture, undermining the internet’s invention — connectivity.
Online self > offline self
Contrarily, studies underlines the important role of cosplay culture in gaining virtual connections. Turkle (2017) points out “technology is seductive when what it offers meets our human vulnerabilities” (p.1). Often, people are afraid to express who they want to be offline, turning to the internet as a safe haven for identity exploration (McInroy & Craig, 2020). Cosplay involves dressing up as characters to “express themselves freely…without normative restrictions and societal constraints” (Rahman et al., 2012, p.335). McInroy & Craig’s (2020) research reveals fandoms’ identity alteration in online contexts are crucial for emotional well-being and life satisfaction.
The ability to interact with individuals who are also identity experimenting, provides insight into the beneficial effects of virtual personalities and “reinventing ourselves” (Turkle, 2017, p.12), even if it means temporarily becoming someone we aren’t.
References
Abidin, C. (2018). Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Abidin, C. (2015). Communicative intimacies: Influencers and perceived interconnectedness. Ada: a Journal of Gender, New Media, & Technology, 8. Retrieved from http://adanewmedia.org/2015/11/issue8-abidin/
Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and simulation. University of Michigan press.
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Anchor.
Khamis, S., Ang, L., & Welling, R. (2017). Self-branding,‘micro-celebrity’and the rise of Social Media Influencers. Celebrity studies, 8(2), 191–208.
McInroy, L. B., & Craig, S. L. (2020). “It’s like a safe haven fantasy world”: Online fandom communities and the identity development activities of sexual and gender minority youth. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(2), 236.
Rahman, O., Wing-Sun, L., & Cheung, B. H. M. (2012). “Cosplay”: Imaginative self and performing identity. Fashion Theory, 16(3), 317–341.
Senft, T. (2008). Camgirls: celebrity and community in the age of social media. New York: Peter Press.
TED. (2012, April 4). Connected, but alone? | Sherry Turkle[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Xr3AsBEK4
Turkle, S. (2017). Alone together: why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New York: Basic Books.
