{"id":409,"date":"2019-05-06T08:36:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T00:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/?p=409"},"modified":"2019-05-06T08:36:17","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T00:36:17","slug":"social-media-and-the-curation-of-identity-taking-a-closer-look-at-influencers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/2019\/05\/06\/social-media-and-the-curation-of-identity-taking-a-closer-look-at-influencers\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media and the Curation of Identity: Taking a Closer look at Influencers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper\nfocuses on the curation of identity on social media, with a focus on influencers\nand those within the spotlight. The paper begins with discussing the\ncomplicated relationship general users have with influencers, and the high\nlevel of trust involved in their interactions. This follows into a paragraph\nregarding sponsored posts and discusses the idea that influencers must share\nall necessary information to their audience when promoting a brand or product.\nThe next point highlighted in this paper is the expectations of how much an\ninfluencer should have to share, whilst also discussing this regarding general\nusers. The concept of catfishing is also bought into play here, with the idea\nbeing relevant in various circumstances. The final discussion point is the\ncuration of identity and its importance in a professional landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Words:<\/strong> Identity, Social Media, Influencers, Catfishing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social\nmedia has allowed for the curated presentation of a persons\u2019 identity. With\napplications such as Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin paving the way, individuals\nhave the newfound opportunity to share their lives with public, in ways not\npreviously possible. This uprise of the Web 2.0 has allowed for the up rise of\nsocial media influencers, and brings about the question of \u201cis what we see on\nsocial media a reality.\u201d Curated identities could potentially be harmful to\nimpressionable users, particularly those of a young age. However, why should\nsocial media influencers be expected to show certain sides of themselves on\ntheir own personal accounts, and why should general users have any expectations\nabout what they share, granted that it is politically correct. This also stems\noff into the rise of sponsored posts, and the effect that they can have on\nviewers. The concept of curated identities is also present within a discussion\nregarding online dating and catfishing, as well as having an important role\nwithin the occupational realm. Platforms such as Instagram and Linkedin allow\nusers to curate an idealistic image of their life, knowledge of this disrupts the\ntrust between user and social media influencer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curated Identities of Influencers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social\nmedia influencers successfully curate an image that other social media users\nwish to interact with. Their perceived digital identity is followed en masse,\nwith the focus of their accounts typically being on fashion, beauty or fitness.\nBy gaining followers through well thought out, curated posts, nowadays, the\nconcept of being a social media \u201cInfluencer\u201d is considered a full-time job. In\nthis day and age, \u201cinfluencers\namass followers through the content that they cultivate themselves, allowing\naudiences to step into their personal narratives (Forbes, 2016).\u201d A personal\nconnection is them created between influencer and follower. This is\ndone through promoting brands through their posts, making the products seem relatable\nto the average consumer (Glucksman,\n2017). Generally, these posts are made with an incentive to the\ninfluencer, whether this is through a payment, and\/or free products being\nprovided. With these individuals having a large followership, there would be\nmany assumed pressures, such as being expected to look and behave certain ways,\ntherefor their social media posts and brand affiliations should reflect this.\nLooking at fitness focused influencers, maintaining a healthy outer appearance\nis imperative, as is displaying a balanced diet and exercise regime. It begs\nthe question that if a fitness influencer has received plastic surgery, or\nedits their body, should their viewers be made aware of this? Whilst this\ninformation is not owed to anyone (especially as users have made the personal\nchoice to follower these influencers), when influencers begin uploading\nsponsored posts for diet products, or even selling their own fitness programs\nand applications, as many do, the trust between influencer and follower is\nbroken. With knowledge about how easy it can be to curate a digital identity,\ntrusting the self-presentation of an influencer can be difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsored Posts and Brand Ambassadorship<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sponsored\nposts on social media allow brands to connect with their intended target\naudience through an individual that they trust and admire. When an influencer\ncollaborates with a brand, they become endorsers or brand ambassadors. \u201cTheir contribution to word-of-mouth through\nposts, pictures, and messages on their social networking profiles is an\nadvantage for marketers looking to get in on the digital dialogue surrounding\ntheir brand (Forbes, 2016).\u201d Much alike the ideas previously discussed\nregarding fitness influencers, endorsements require a high level of trust\nbetween follower and influencer. When beauty influencers post skincare regimes\nor makeup looks with certain sponsored products, it is assumed that their\nfollowers would experience a similar outcome if they used the endorsed product\nin the same way that the influencer did. However, unless plainly obvious, these\noutcomes posted by the influencer could easily falsified, with the use of Face\nTune or Photoshop, as well as professional dermatologists or skin that does not\nnecessarily require the products being endorsed. This example was seen when\nskincare brand, Proactiv<\/em>, announced\ncelebrity Kendall Jenner as a spokesperson for their company at the beginning\nof 2019 (Diaz, 2019). This campaign created a lot of controversy over social\nmedia, with speculations being that Proactive in no way had a hand in clearing\nJenners\u2019 skin. Unfortunately, there is no real way to know the truth about what\nhas been falsified, which beckons social media users\nto not believe everything they see on the internet. Sponsored posts are a\ngrowing tool, used by marketers to reach certain market segments, with the\nintegration of social aspects into product campaigns being an integral component\nof brand strategy says Forbes (2016). It is to no surprise that this method of\nmarketing has grown, with it being more innovative and organic, than other\ntraditional marketing approaches. However, this growing popularity of\nrelationship between brand and ambassador, could lead to distrust from the\nconsumer as there is no real way of deciphering the influencers true feelings\ntowards the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amplified Expectations over Social Media<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expectations of appearance and behaviour are amplified over social\nmedia, not only for popular influencers, but also for regular users. It can be\ndifficult for individuals to decipher what they should be sharing with their\nfollowers\/friends, with social media adding a constant pressure to be present\nand available to others. Focusing on influencers, it is simultaneously expected\nthat these individuals share everything with their followers, and yet they can\nbe criticized for showing who they really are or for being \u201coff-brand.\u201d This\nbegs the question, where should individuals draw the line on what they should\nbe posting? Whilst general users and influencers alike, can post what they\nplease on their personal accounts, creating a near perfect online persona is\ntempting. Yet despite the ease of curating a new identity, the practice of\nbeing \u201cfake\u201d is judged harshly, particularly on those in the spotlight. This idea\nof altering an identity is however not exclusively an online practice, with\n\u201cthe bounding of social situations works as an identity practice that is not\ndissimilar to the activity of creating different pseudonymous identities online\ndiscusses Frith and Van der Nagel (2015). Influencers rely\non many things, with their ability to \u201cinfluence followers through authenticity,\nconfidence, and interactivity to create a connection between the follow and the\nbrand\u201d is one of their main tasks (Glucksman, 2017). However, there is an unimaginable\npressure that comes along with needing to seem authentic, but also presenting a\nconsistent, positive persona. It would be unfair to expect so highly of\ninfluencers, when their occupation is being scrutinised en masse. With knowledge that influencers are no different to a normal\nhuman being, deciphering what is real and what is fake in their lives can be a\ndifficult task, that perhaps is one taken too seriously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catfishing and Presenting a\nFalse Identity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catfishing\ncan be described as an individual deceiving others online, completely falsifying\ntheir outer appearance and\/or identity (Smith, Smith and Blazka, 2017). This online trend is an important factor to discuss when looking\nat the idea of curating and presenting a digital identity, particularly for\nthose who profit from their social media accounts. Many see creating an online\npersona, as a way to work at unresolved issues, and have a second chance in\nlife, discusses Turkle (1997), however there are many other reasons for acting\nin creating a new identity, rising as an influencer is another primary reason.\nHowever, predominantly being considered as a term used within the realm of\nonline dating, catfishing is generally seen when one individual utilizes the\nphotographs of another, and claims them as their own. This can be in\norder to deceive or con others, and is a factor that many are increasingly\nweary of when forming relationships online, as well as following\ninfluencers\/brand ambassadors online. It can be difficult to create a legal\ncase for this matter, \u201cas online impersonations are a relatively new concept legally speaking,\nthere are not always specific laws in place\u201d (Smith, Smith and\nBlazka, 2017). However, it is still an ongoing issue within the digital sphere.\nSome of the legal claims in response to catfishing would be for fraud,\nemotional distress, misappropriation of likeness and invasion of privacy, notes\nSmith, Smith and Blazka (2017). The simple possibility of being conned through\nthe creation of a false identity can seemingly likely to many, cementing the\ndistrust of online profiles by general internet users and influencers alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online Identities and Professionalism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forming\na respectable digital identity is imperative when entering a job market. When\napplying for jobs, it is typically expected to include a link to a Linkedin\nprofile, or to expect a search of social media accounts. Generally, if a person\nhas a clean online presence, they could then be considered for a job, with\nemployers screening job applications, as well as monitoring employees (Lam,\n2016). It is expected in many professions for potential employees to have a\nLinkedin account, displaying their entire professional history. \u201cThe economic benefits of\nusing social media for recruitment is easily seen through both efficiency and\ncost, as communication is often instantaneous and can reach a wide \u2026 range of\naudience\u201d (Lam, 2016). Despite the many benefits with utilising social media in\nprofessional industries, it can be difficult to perceive and judge an\nindividual\u2019s identity through their personality as seen online. With\n74 per cent of employers in\na Deloitte LLP\u2019s Ethics and Workplace Survey, having the knowledge that their organizations\nreputation could be destroyed or altered by social media, when not handled\nappropriately (Deloitte, as cited by Lam, 2016). Therefor an online curated\nidentity is not an accurate depiction of a person, and how they would fit into\na company. Whilst in theory this is a smart way to select candidates,\nan individual that may seem perfect on paper, or in this case on a screen,\nisn\u2019t necessarily going to be a good fit for the job. Excluding individuals due\nto a subpar online presence is understandable for employers, however some\npeople are simply better at curating themselves online than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curating and presenting an identity in the digital sphere, is a process that leads to the inevitable questioning of truthfulness. Knowing how much time you spend creating an online persona, with no doubt could influence your trust of the online persona of others. Who is to say what is real and what is fake online, when the truth is only known to the individual. Seeping into many factors of life, with a focus on relationships, brand affiliations and job applications. A persons\u2019 digital identity is a major part of their interactions on social media, and therefor carefully curating it would be imperative to their occupational and personal livelihood. \u00a0Therefore, it can be difficult to judge the what is true or false online, considering what a major part identities play in a digital sphere. This begs the question of how far will someone go to create a particular identity, and is doing so in any way morally wrong? Or is this simply a current factor of life in the age of Web 2.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference\nList<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diaz, T. (2019). Kendall Jenner Her New Skin-Care Deal During the Golden Globes. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/en-us\/2019\/01\/220941\/kendall-jenner-proactiv-commercial-acne-golden-globes-2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forbes, K. (2016). Examining the Beauty Industry\u2019s Use of Social Influencers. Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications<\/em>. 7<\/em>(2), 78 \u2013 87. Retrieved from:https:\/\/www.elon.edu\/u\/academics\/communications\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/153\/2017\/06\/08_Kristen_Forbes.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glucksman, M. (2017). The Rise of Social Media Influencer Marketing on Lifestyle Branding: A Case Study of Lucie Fink. Rise of Social Media Influencer Marketing on\nLifestyle Branding.<\/em> 77-87. Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.elon.edu\/u\/academics\/communications\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/153\/2017\/12\/08_Lifestyle_Branding_Glucksman.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lam, H. (2016). Social media dilemmas in the\nemployment context. Employee <\/em>Relations, 38<\/em>(3), 420-437. Retrieved\nfrom https:\/\/search-proquest-<\/a>com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au\/docview\/1800475581?accountid=10382<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith, L, R., Smith, K, D., & Blazka, M. (2017). Follow Me, What\u2019s the Harm?\nConsiderations\nof Catfishing and Utilizing Fake Online Personas on Social Media. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport<\/em>, 27<\/em>, 32 \u2013 45. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1123\/jlas.2016-0020<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkle, S. (1997).\nConstructions and Reconstructions of Self in Virtual Reality. In S.\nKiesler (Ed.), Culture of the Internet<\/em>. Hilldale, NJ: Lawrence\nErlbaum Associates. Retrieved\nfrom: http:\/\/www.mit.edu\/~sturkle\/pdfsforstwebpage\/ST_Construc%20and%20reconstruc%20of%20self.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Der Nagel, E. and\nFrith, J. (2015). Anonymity, pseudonymity, and the agency of\nonline identity: Examining the social practices of r\/Gonewild. First\nMonday, 20<\/em>(3), Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ojphi.org\/ojs\/index.php\/fm\/article\/view\/5615\/4346<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abstract This paper focuses on the curation of identity on social media, with a focus on influencers and those within the spotlight. The paper begins with discussing the complicated relationship general users have with influencers, and the high level of trust involved in their interactions. This follows into a paragraph regarding sponsored posts and discusses… Continue reading Social Media and the Curation of Identity: Taking a Closer look at Influencers<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-identity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":414,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409\/revisions\/414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}