{"id":508,"date":"2019-05-07T12:29:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T04:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/?p=508"},"modified":"2019-05-07T12:29:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-07T04:29:00","slug":"social-media-users-are-able-to-create-different-online-personas-due-to-the-control-they-have-over-their-online-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/2019\/05\/07\/social-media-users-are-able-to-create-different-online-personas-due-to-the-control-they-have-over-their-online-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Social media users are able to create different online personas due to the control they have over their online identity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

This essay\nexamines that due to right that users have to edit their social media profiles,\nthere is becoming an increasingly amountof identity deception in the online space. It examines how users are able\nto portray a different online identity to how they are in the offline world.\nThe construction of one\u2019s identity will be explored through the profile itself,\nthe posts that are shared and the images that are released. This will\ndemonstrate that social media these day are making it almost convenient for\nusers to use identity deception to appeal to a wider audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Social networking\nsites also known as SNSs, have gained millions of users since being released\nand are now being integrated into so many user\u2019s everyday lives (boyd, 2007).\nParticipation in these SNSs is becoming increasingly somewhat compulsory among\nyoung adults in today\u2019s society (Marwick & boyd, 2014, as cited in\nHodkinson, 2015). According to boyd (2007) a social networking site is a\n\u201cweb-based service that allows individuals to; construct a public or\nsemi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users\nwith whom they have a connection and view and traverse their list of\nconnections and those made by others within the system.\u201d Even though these\nsites are becoming increasingly popular and are being used all over the world\nby millions of people, are they being used for good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SNSs such as\nFacebook and Instagram are some of the most popular and used sites, especially within\nthe younger generation. These two sites give users the freedom and control over\ntheir accounts in order for them to post and share whatever they want through\nthe site. This freedom refers to the personal information they choose to share\nor the particular images they want to post. Due to this huge amount of freedom\nand control, users are able to carefully pick and choose what they want to\nshare with their audience no matter if it is true or false (boyd, 2007). This\nis what can lead to \u2018identity deception\u2019 which will be discussed further on. By\nusers having the right to edit their online profile it can sometimes be hard to\nshow their true identity due to the constructed environment. Even when consciously\ntrying it would still be difficult for their true offline identity to be shown\nonline as their profiles will be constructed in some way even if it is not\nintentional. According to the Cambridge diction, Identity is defined as \u201cwho a\nperson is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from\nothers and the reputation and characteristics of a person or organization that\nmakes the public think about them in a particular way\u201d (Identity,<\/em> Cambridge English Dictionary, 2019). By having such\nfreedom over what they are able to share with their audience, are they able to truly\npresent their non-constructed, authentic offline identity or will their online identity\nalways be shown as more appealing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identity Deception <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identity deception\nis hiding or changing one\u2019s identity in order to be viewed or treated\ndifferently. Identity deception is something that is truly prevalent in the\nonline world today (Donath & boyd, 2004). Due to the increase in the online\nworld due to SNSs, identity deception is something that is becoming very\npopular. This is because it is much easier to achieve in the online space\nrather than in the offline world. In online platforms and communities, users\nhave the ability to easily manipulate their presence in order to deceive their\naudience. This can be done by changing their name, posting highly edited photos\nof themselves or perhaps post photos of someone else and creating a friends\nlist of people that have not actually meet them in person. This can create a\nlarge friends list which is very appealing to a potential follower but little\ndo they know that all these friendships are weak ties and only know the online\ndeceptive identity of the person (Donath & boyd, 2004). This allows the deceiver\nto be surrounded by people who truly believe in the presented identity as they don\u2019t\nknow anything about their true offline identity. Even though identity deception\nhas only recently become a large topic of conversation due to the rise of the\nonline space, it is something that has always be prevalent in the offline world.\nA true example of this are drag queens. Drag queens are people that represent\nthemselves as a different gender. This involves a lot of world such as\ncostuming, extensive makeup and sometimes even surgery (Donath, boyd, 2004).\nEven though this is much harder to achieve compared to the online space, it is something\nthat is still commonly done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Profile Construction <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most SNSs require\nusers to make an account or a profile in order to be active on the site. These\nprofiles are shown in user\u2019s home pages and describes the characteristics of\nthe users (boyd, 2007). They act as a space where they can showcase themselves\nin the online space. Most profiles require users to add personal information such\nas age, location, sex and interests (boyd, 2007). They also encourage users to\npublish a photograph which will be used as their display picture (boyd, 2007).\nUsers, especially teenagers use their profiles to express aspects of their\nidentity for others to see and interpret (boyd, 2007). The information that\nthey choose to share is completely controlled by them and as mentioned\npreviously this information can be true or false. By being able to edit the\ninformation provided on their profiles, allows them to consciously or even\nsubconsciously constrict a different online persona (boyd, 2007). Most\ncommonly, the construction of one\u2019s online profile happens subconsciously and\nthey believe that they are portraying their true selves online. Which is not\nnormally the case. According to boyd (2007) users will unintentionally only show\nthe positive sides of their personality and hide information that they believe\nwill make them be viewed in a negative light. But as mentioned previously there\nare people who try to intentionally create a new identity in order to be viewed\nor treated differently. They can do this by changing their shown age on their\nprofile or by adding an image of someone completely different in order for people\nto believe that that is how they look. There are many SNSs such as Instagram\nthat have privacy features which allow users to restrict their followers or\ncertain followers in particular to see personal information (boyd, 2007). As\nmentioned previously it is a lot harder to lie about certain information in\nreal life than it is online. Although SNSs users are able to hide behind a\nscreen and almost be anyone they want to be. Depending on the way users chose\nto portray themselves will differ how everyone views them online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Image construction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram is a\nphoto oriented site, which allows users to construct their images just as much\nas they construct their accounts and profiles. Most people want their images\nonline to show the best parts of themselves. Most users construct their images\non purpose by using apps such as Face Tune which can change and correct the way\nsomeone looks in order to make them look more appealing or to look completely\ndifferent. While some users might subconsciously construct their images, just\nby using specific lighting or an angle that looks better on them. Once again\nusers can subconsciously construct their online identity just by picking\nspecific images to post (boyd, 2007). When meeting someone we are normally able\nto get a sense of their personal identity though their behavior, clothes and\nfacial expressions (boyd, 2007), but when looking at images of them online, we\nare not able to tell whether the clothes they are wearing have just been picked\nout for the photo or whether the facial expression is one that they make on a\nday to day basis. Most users might feel like they want to believe that another\nuser online identity is one that is true to their true personal identity, but\nthis might not always be the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In conclusion, SNSs\nallowing users to have more control over their online profiles and posts, creates\na distrust within the environment. Due to the constructed and controlled\nenvironment that social media platforms are it makes it really common to see\nconstructed identities, whether it have been consciously or subconsciously. It\nhas been shown that it is difficult to create profiles that are not constructed\nin the slightest which demonstrates that SNSs are a place for people to\nshowcase their best self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REFERENCES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

boyd, D. (2007). Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Volume. Cambridge, MA.: MIT Press. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.danah.org\/papers\/WhyYouthHeart.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hodkinson, P.\n(2015) Bedrooms and Beyond: Youth, Identity and Privacy on Social Network Sites,\nNew Media and Society<\/em>, online before\nprint, DOI: 10.1177\/1461444815605454<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identity.<\/em>Cambridge English Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved from https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/dictionary\/english\/identity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abstract This essay examines that due to right that users have to edit their social media profiles, there is becoming an increasingly amountof identity deception in the online space. It examines how users are able to portray a different online identity to how they are in the offline world. The construction of one\u2019s identity will… Continue reading Social media users are able to create different online personas due to the control they have over their online identity<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"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-508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-identity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508","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\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":510,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508\/revisions\/510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}