Online identity has become a competition between users to promote ones ‘perfect’ life.

Rebecca Haywood

abstract:

This paper aims to explore how online identity and the portrayal of ones’ authentic self has an effect on other users. Ones’ online identity is how many users gain an understanding of others on the platform. However through my research I became away of a comparison between users and how it can have negative effects, particularly in mothers and adolescents. Users prefer to portray images of successes – their ‘Perfect life’, rather then their authentic selves. 

Ones online identity is becoming synonymous with one’s offline identity. Users often use other users online identity to evaluate someone’s personality, their values and beliefs etc.. The understanding is that what someone posts online is authentically true to the users’ identity. However, as a society we have discovered that as the Web has grown and technologies have advanced, peoples ability to alter and manipulate their content can consequently allow users to cultivate the identity they desire to portray. This identity although appearing authentic, may not necessarily be genuine. Competition is inherent in human nature. Comparison is a constant in society, whether comparing upward or downward on the social ladder. Online social networking sites like Instagram, and Pinterest further this social comparison, so much so that users create their online identities to fit into the expectations of the platform according to its affordances and aesthetics. Users aim to cultivate a ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ identity, portraying only their best online selves. In the hopes that other users interacting with their profile will believe what they are depicting of their lives as truth. Whether it’s; whose parenting style, fashion style, travel adventures, food, social life is better. The significant role we bestow on to social media as a part of our society has meant that we have increased the platforms abilities to therefore ease our ability to compare our lives to others; friends, family, and users beyond our personal circle. Thus, it has increased the competitive drive in users to represent their lives in the most flawless way possible by posting exclusively their best content.

Competitive comparison is a regular practice on social media, especially on apps like Instagram or Pinterest, whose design is based on aesthetics. Therefore, users aim to cultivate their identity into one that is aesthetically pleasing to their audience whether personal or global. The way users do this is by often only posting “about their positive life events, successes, and entertaining status updates and sometimes even present themselves in overly flattering ways” (Latif et al, 2021, p.1) rather than posting failures or negative life events in order to present their best selves online, understanding there is an “expectation to appear positive in every post” (Kidd & Frietas, 2018, p.456). Everyone’s idea of ‘perfect’ life is different, naturally by situation. However, some similarities do parallel across the platforms; The want for a perfect house in that ideal location, physical and mental health, family, travel, material wealth, job security in that dream profession, happiness, freedom etc. Thus, there is a great desire for users to show off their successes in obtaining their ‘perfect’ life. This feeds into the mentality that social media is a competition and users are competing to show their followers that they are living their best lives. This in turn effects the identity that a user chooses to display online. The phrase chooses to display significant, because what a user selects to post and how they post it in entirely up to them, consequently they can be as authentic or inauthentic as they wish, whatever makes them more competitive. Which can lead to harmful by product whereby users begin to evaluate their own life outside of the online landscape and believe it is inadequate in comparison. So not only does the competitive comparison effect users online identity when interacting with Social Networking Sites but also their identity of self in offline environments. In the recent years Influencers and Celebrities have become major culprits of over editing their already lavish lifestyles. Everyday users are flooded is highly touched up and modified images, many of which have been done by professionals rather than the celebrities and influencers themselves, as they have hired teams that aim to cultivate the most competitive identity. However, it is not only celebrities and influencers who have access to the technology needed to edit/ alter images. This technology is easily and readily accessible, with many apps capable of doing high quality jobs, like; VSCO or Preset for filter based edits to Facetune as Adobe photoshop that can do more altering type of work. (Manovich, 2017). In order for users to feel competitive they use the tools and app affordances available to almost fabricate their ‘perfect’ life. This ‘perfect’ life often covered in an aesthetic to make it all the more visually appealing, allowing them to assimilate their identity with specific lifestyles they either want to obtain or are representing (Manovich, 2017). Through the manipulation of platform affordances, other third-party apps, and the social media culture that inspire their practice, users of Social Networking Sites are constantly finding ways to competitive with their creating of their identity on the platforms. Aiming to cultivate a persona rather than an authentic identity that displays the true self to a public forum but instead a synthetic identity that represents them the way they choose to be.

An area that is abundant with social comparison are Social Networking Sites such as blogs, Instagram personalities, and community groups, particularly focused mothers. These platforms aim to share the knowledge of mothers with other mothers, which can have positive benefits. Women participating in these communities were once all a new mum and were potentially engaging with the communities to figure out their maternal identity gaining knowledge from more experienced mothers whose own attitudes had already formed (Chae, 2015). Unfortunately, this is where the cycle hooks in users to the competitive comparison, “Just as women compare themselves with thin media models as much as they do to peers, mothers compare themselves with ideal mothers.” (Chae, J. 2015, p. 508). The idea of an ideal mother is a construct created by society, the role of a mother has morphed and changed over time from stay-at- home mums to full-time working mothers and everything in between. These assumptions on role and what is the best way to do it continues to be furthered on social media through the judgmental comparison of parenting styles by users, “Many argue that judging others is human nature, and assert that the social media breeds divisiveness in the quantity and quality of how that judgment is communicated” (Abetz & Moore, 2018, p.9). Social Networking Sites like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are common places where users feel the need to cultivate ones identity to fit the mold of a ‘perfect’ mother. One where a mother is, attentive to her child’s needs, provides a safe inclusive home, entertainment, creativity, nurture, and care. In particular Pinterest is “A highly feminised digital platform where…women share recipes, fitness tips, crafting projects, party ideas, toddler activities, decorating advice, and much, much more, (Wilson, J., Yochim, E, 2015, p. 233) all of which become areas for competitive comparison as they fight to show off their best ideas, proving to other mother users that they have motherhood figured out and are doing the best for their children. Users document the intermate aspects of parenting, but only by posting specifically chosen, potentially edited/altered images or carefully worded posts that portray only the bits that the user wants an audience to see. As it represents their lives the way they want. Despite parenting and motherhood being a time when things are messy and at times frustrating and complicated. The identity general identity at users aim to create is one that pushes a narrative that these mothers have everything figured out and are succeeding all the time. Motherhood is an achievement due to its ups and downs, its difficulties, and its payoff. However, the opinion of displaying Motherhood online is to display your triumphs only, in order to be competitive and seen by onlookers as a good mother (Chae, J. 2015). The online culture within mother focused communities across different platforms forces users to cultivate their identity into something that is the envy of other users due to the competitive nature of displaying a ‘perfect’ life online over authenticity.

There is no doubt that Instagram has a reputation for its toxic online culture. With its abundance of highly photo shopped images posted and shared every day, as well as its lack of policing. This flaw has festered into an environment for comparison and competition, particularly in young females. A UK report in 2017, “declared Instagram’s platform to be ‘‘the most damaging social network for mental health, affecting anxiety levels and body dissatisfaction,’’ (Wiederhold, 2019, p. 1). Participating online on Social Networking Sites like Instagram are part of society’s everyday culture, particularly for teen to young adult users (13-26). Users interact with one another, share their experiences, and explore parts of their identity by joining communities, networking with other users, following their inspirations and favourite Influencers.  Participating in these online opportunities can offer young people guidance and chances to explore themselves during a time of transition and development (Raiziene et al., 2021). Personal Instagram profiles are designed to be a way for users to express themselves and feeds are often viewed by other users as a reflection of the person personality. However, this is when competitive comparison emerges as users begin to make choices that aren’t necessarily based on their identity but rather what will make them competitive in the networking landscape of the platform and comparable to their peers as “most connections are with classmates, friends, and colleagues, who are at times (or often) trying to portray their best side in order to impress peers” (Latif et al., 2021, p.2). Instagram is a visual medium, focusing predominantly on visual posts in the forms of photos and videos. This means the platform is driven by aesthetics. As referred to earlier, users chose particular aesthetics for their feed and pictures as to a line themselves with a particular/ signature look that represents their personality; “to signal their identities, and to identify with particular lifestyles”. (Manovich, 2017, p.40). Young female users are more likely to aim to create aesthetically pleasing feeds, similar to favourite/ major influencers whose feeds are often viewed as inspiration as they appear to be leading the “perfect” life full of travel, fashion, fitness, healthy eating, and other luxury’s. This drive for young female users to create similar platforms that feature the same content starts to have devastating effects on their mental health and wellbeing. Interactions between users begins to become psychological as users begin to compare feeds, judging one another on who’s life is ‘best’. Over comparison of other accounts and aspiration to be equal has been linked to having negative mental health effects on users; as stated by Sherlock & Wagstaff, “excessive Instagram exposure may have an effect on other aspects of psychological well-being that extend beyond depressive symptoms to self-esteem and body image (Sherlock & Wagstaff, 2019, p.486), which can have effects on people identity for years effecting their understanding of who they due to a fear of inadequacy compared to their peers of the same age.

Content that is shared online is an extension of one’s identity, users are able to gain an understanding of a person’s personality, interests, beliefs and much more from simply viewing one’s personal page. However, the identity we see online is not always an authentic snapshot of that persons character as we assume it to be. Users on platforms like Instagram are in a battle with other users due to the competitive nature of the app, with users trying to portray their ‘perfect’ life to their followers. Users at high risk are mothers as the societal expectations of motherhood is to be natural. Therefore, mothers post only their successes in the hopes that other mothers in their communities believe the identity they are portraying online in order to be competitive. Similarly, Adolescents and young adults do the same posting in the style of their favourite influencers whose images are highly published, altered and managed by professionals. This can have damaging effects on their identities outside of the online environment, including mental health and wellbeing, as well as their understanding of self. As users have the ability manipulate and choose what to post and share, users are able portray their ‘perfect life’, their identify in a way that they want to be seen by their audience. This has created a competitive environment online between users.

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