STATEMENT,

Social capital and professional communities creating an unrealistic/unattainable ideology of identity, with the growing pressures of social capital and image management contributing to a lack of confidence within online presence and identity.

Abstract

This paper will firstly discuss the originality and authenticity of online/offline identities. I will then cover the issues of identity and the pressures surrounding the need for extensive editing of profiles and the construction of online personas. Lastly I will cover the issues surrounding social communities/professional communities and the perception in which individuals feel they need to be conveyed. 

The use of social networking sites (SNS) will offer as solid support and reference points throughout this argument. The 3 main social networking sites referenced throughout this article will be MySpace, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 The influence social and professional networking is having within online-based communities will be deconstructed to establish contributing factors relating to the change in online identity and impression management. With a substantial growth/shift in online identity and impression management, continued dependence within online engagement and the pressures of attaining a large following within social networking sites is creating continued pressure for an edited version of identity. It could also be said that this different style of communication/interaction has contributed to the increased pressures of image management and put emphasis on social capital, with the continued growth and development of social and professional online communities. The use of online and offline examples will be used to reinforce all arguments regarding identity, this will help to offer a better understanding of identity and the increased pressures of impression management and social capital within professional and social networking.

Introduction.

The studies that were researched for this paper discuss and encompass a diverse scope of information regarding online identity and how image management has continued to affect the online community. Reasoning behind why social networking sites such as Instagram, MySpace, and LinkedIn remain so influential with online users and how/why they are able to contribute to the shaping of identities. Are these social communities having such a strong impact because of the lack of direction in youths today or is it due to the strategic marketing of these sites and the influential impact they have on such a moldable society.

Social Capital.

Social capital can be broken down to the level of industry connections and contacts an individual has. Depending on the level of social capital and individual has it as an extension of them. Like any sort of capital the more social capital a person has the more appealing they are to   could be used as an extended version as n current society is worth its weight in gold, with 65 to 80 percent of all jobs being found through networking it has become something of phenomenon within online communities (J.L, M.D. 2012). This has had somewhat of a roll on effect in the way of creating pressure on how individuals convey themselves through their online presence, Instagram and other social platforms are no longer just social platforms they are now becoming a tier within the social capital pyramid. 

For example if an person has a LinkedIn account in which they are attempting to appear as a prime candidate to a potential employer they may edit their identity or facets there of to increase chances of potential employment. 

The same example can be applied to Instagram and other social networking sites; these SNS’s have become similar to LinkedIn accounts in relation to the capital they contribute to a person’s social capital. With that information the pressure for users to continue posting genuine identities online becomes difficult and the pressure can create insecurities such as fear of judgment. This is an example and varies for all individuals however these fears are prevalent and they are causing increased pressure within online communities to perform and stand out for the right reasons (J. L., M.D. 2012).

The stronger a persons network the stronger there chances of securing job opportunities,with the enhanced opportunity of finding ones dream job through communication and networking this makes any situation a potential job opportunity. For example chatting to the local bar tender to discover they have a large social capital, and then creating a connection with that person can potentially add to your capital. This reinforces the pressure to constantly be networking and communicating regardless of the circumstance. Staying true to Identity is as important as chasing opportunities; it is often unique individuality that contributes to ones appeal (Hodkinson, P. 2015).

Identity.

Ultimately identities online are established in order to be part of a social and professional communities and these communities are able to offer a sense of belonging, opportunity and friendship. Perfect example of opportunity is the new age of the “influencer” (Phua, J. 2017). Breaking down what an “influencer” encompasses is capitalising on the use of social media platforms and a great amount of quality social capital to establish a large enough following to command payment for online advertising and promotion.

Identity has been described as being a performance and these social communities/networks are the stage (Boyd and Heer, 2006). There is a reference to front and back stages within an online identity and my interpretation of that is suggesting that the front stage is the identity that people are able to view when looking at individuals profiles and the back stage refers to the work, communication and networking that goes into profile/identity and the overall finished product. The growing pressure to have social capital and to practice impression management is creating a lot of opportunity but it is also creating a lot of pressure on online identity and online presence (Pearson, E. 2009). 

Online and offline are identities are different, it is difficult to be completely transparent online and to convey everything with complete authenticity through an online presence. With the growing pressure and importance placed on identities within these social and professional communities the authenticity, inhabitations and entertainments that once was expected from online interaction is slowly fading and making way for an extremely dominant professional community and what could be said to be an extension of ones resume and capital they are able to bring to the table (Boyd and Heer, 2006).

In one article there is reference to something called a bedroom analogy (Hokinson, 2015) this goes in depth about online platforms and makes the comparison to personal space, particularly the bedroom. What was most interesting about this discussion of social platforms and online identities was the crossing over to mobile phones (Hokinson, 2015). The article refers to the ability to continuously access social and professional platforms and monitor/mange identity, making this an everyday activity and something that needs constant attention. Connecting with other users on online and turning this behaviour into a common occurrence and allowing it to affect you at any stage. The article alluded to addiction, anxiety and a constant pressure to perform when having constant accessibility to communication, networks and social networking sites (Hokinson, 2015).

Instagram.

This is a photo based social networking site and is one of the platforms owned by Facebook along with Whatsapp and Messenger, this creates a community within a network allowing convenience and opportunity for the growth of social capital all within one SNS. 

Each user will have different expectation for the site Instagram and what they hope to get out of it, its common within the Instagram community to attain a large following on this platform as it synonymous with success within the general Instagram community and many trends, algorithms and purchases are applied to profiles in order to make this happen (Phua, J. 2017).

This platform out of the 3 used is the only photo/picture based platform however that has not stopped it from becoming a professional social media platform. Advertising on this site generates billions of dollars annually (Phua, J. 2017) allowing online identities the ability to capitalise on social capital and create a lucrative venture within a singular SNS. This begs the question of are these online identities the same as offline and what is makes them so special? I believe online identities are often the better version of an individual, with most wanting to portray the best version of themselves online the importance of transparency and honesty becomes less important. Offline is more difficult to change or edit making it harder to portray an unauthentic version of self, this is why I believe there to be variations within online and offline identity. 

Facebook.

Facebook along with MySpace were two of the first social platforms that younger audiences went to for social stimulation and to establish communities, (Boyd, 2017) suggest that these social platforms provide students, youths a place to socialise with friends and to establish identity but one of the fascinating thing from within this article was the suggestion that these social platforms are helping students articulate public lives. Why do these students need to articulate public lives online and what are the differences between their public lives private lives? This was a little conflicting but also made a lot of sense, it is almost like it is preparing students to create their performance identity “online” and also suggesting to keep authentic identity for “offline”. With 72% of Americans using Facebook (Boyd, 2017) this is a platform where user’s lives are to some extent public and the thought of sharing authentic Identity could potentially be scary however each individual has the option and ability to monitor who views there profiles and the amount of content seen.

Linkedin.

LinkedIn is a more professional based social platform and this is where Social Capital is more prevalent in relation to other social platforms, it is where individuals parade how much social capital they have alongside work experience and other self promotional facets. This site offers that same sense of community and networks as other social platforms however it is very obvious that this is more professional and this is a place people are looing for potential employment in which they are willing to advertise however much capital they have to secure employment. This is a slightly more confronting social networking site and where the fear of online identity is prevalent within these professional communities and networks seen on this platform. Whilst it could be argued that most social platforms in particular Facebook have become places to look for employment it has to be noted that LinkedIn was designed for employment and professional purposes where originally Facebook was not (Boyd, 2017).

Discussion.

Often with topics their will conflicting arguments, this argument was no different. With large amounts of content researched for this essay I found the research conflicting. Social capital was portrayed in a lot of these articles as a great asset to have and for the most part painted in a positive light, however the pressures of attaining social capital and the effect it is having was not spoken about enough in a lot of the articles I found. There were also a lot of references to a younger demographic and I think it is important to note that the pressure is not only on a younger community this is happening across all ages. Australia specifically is an ageing population the retirement ages are getting older and Australia’s working lives are becoming a lot longer so it is important to acknowledge that these pressures are across the board not just to the younger population.

Limitation.

Many of these articles referred to a younger demographic, whilst I understand completely why youth is referenced in a lot of these articles I do believe more research needs to be done on the affects social capital is having on an ageing population and how they are turning there work and life experience “capital” into a form of social capital as to make them viable candidates for potential jobs. Another limitation I came across whilst researching for this essay was the lack of scholarly content/studies conducted within Australia and referencing Australian communities and networks and if they were being affected to the same extent as the American communities. Using this information as a generalisation for all counties, networks and communities I think would be a little naive as different demographics and different countries value social capital and identity differently as well as access to online identity may be less attainable in certain countries so going forward I think further research in countries other than the USA needs to be done to get a full understanding of this topic.

Conclusion and Future Studies.

In concluding the online communities and networks for the most part are creating safe places for a lot of Individuals to express themselves, to potentially grow a friend group or community and to some extent discover their identity. These opportunities may have been very different prior to web 2.0, however with the positive attributes to social media many new pressures have arisen in relation to social capital and impression management. Whilst social capital is not a necessity with a growing online presence for the majority this has become quite important especially in the professional sense, as it is another attribute each individual can offer a potential employer. The conflicting issues of trying to have an authentic online identity whilst still trying to remain as professional and or “cool” as possible in relation to having an idealistic online identity is creating a double standard for individuals especially within a younger demographic, this could be seen as disrupting the development of authentic identity development. The pressures of online identity in order to create a higher Social capital is prevalent but not proven, these are observations found through research and require further investigation. Social capital is a great attribute to have and most definitely has its place within an individual’s online presence however the importance placed on social capital should not be to the extent it is and further steps need to be taken in regards to prioritisation within online identity.

Going away from this I think a lot of research could be done on how to better establish authentic online identities as well as maintaining a professional online presence. Not necessarily private and professional combined together because I think that’s where a lot of the confusion lies. More research needs to be done on the education of adolescents and importance of balance within SNS’s and overall online identity. This this could be argued to be case by case specific I think the overall pressure social capital is having spreads across a generalist audience. 

References.

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