Abstract:

This paper explores the concept of the “networked self” and its relation to Twitter as an online space for promoting social and political causes. The paper begins by defining the origin of the trend of the “networked self” and its evolution in social media. It then examines how individuals on Twitter can use their social media presence to cultivate their personal branding and influence change, with examples from influential figures like Elon Musk. The paper also explores how Twitter has facilitated social and political movements through the idea of a networked public to provide a space for groups, including marginalised communities, to amplify their voices and call for change. However, it also acknowledges that this power has a dark side, the spread of misleading information and being a passive follower to rapid change. In summary, the paper considers how the social infrastructure of Twitter contributes to defining the “networked self” and its potential impact on society.

Introduction:

Twitter has transformed into a robust tool for individuals to promote their identities and advocate social and political issues. Using the networked self-concept, Twitter users can challenge traditional power structures and norms. To begin, how does the concept of network self-view relate to Twitter’s transformation into an online space for advocating change and influencing others? This “trend” began in the late 20th century and has become more and prominent today in the 21st century, philosophers are now researching the self in a broader sense. In the context of social relationships and locations, it is worth noting that the self is a dynamic entity that constantly gains and sheds traits, while remaining true to itself. For instance, Wallace (2021), mentions that individuals interact with different people and environments, their self-concept evolves, and certain aspects of their identity may change or become more pronounced. With the rise of social media, research into this theory has expanded to assist in understanding this view of self within these platforms. In this forum, the rise of the individual influencer with mass following to advocate for their brand, and the power of that person within the online presence will be explored. Building on this, discussing how the networked publics on Twitter can correlate to supporting social and political movements. Lastly, how an individual’s Twitter social identity can trend, have the power to influence and criticize others regardless of social identity and networks in physical space, making it a powerful and constructive tool towards positive social change. Overall, this consultation will consider how the social infrastructure of Twitter can contribute to define the networked self.

 

The Power of Twitter and its Impact on the Global Economy and Personal Branding: 

Twitter has emerged as a significant tool in the digital age, thanks to the rise of social media, enabling individuals to gain enormous followings and leverage their social media presence to connect with others, form online communities, and amplify their voices for advocating social and political causes while improving their personal brand and their ‘networked self’. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire entrepreneur who holds the positions of CEO in Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX, boasts a massive following of 132 million on the social media platform. Through his Twitter account, he has been vocal about his opinions and has also promoted his various business ventures and investments his followers which caused a significant yet influential impact on the global economy. For instance, Metta et al. (2022) points out in 2018, Musk tweeted to his followers about his plan to take Tesla private, this announcement led to an immediate surge in Tesla’s stock price, which increased by 6% shortly after the tweet was sent. Musk’s statement caused a lot of buzz and speculation, with many investors wondering about the implications of the company going private. However, the situation was quite different when Musk tweeted his opinion that Tesla’s stock price was excessively high which resulted in causing the company to lose a staggering $14 billion in value. This has demonstrated the influence that Musk’s huge twitter presence has by tweeting his thoughts and opinions. Musk has showcased the significant impact he has, using the power of social media on the global economy. Liberto (2023), from Investopedia, highlights that as Musk is one of the most-followed Twitter users, he is not only influential but his presence and activity on the platform allows an impact on the global economy. Take for example Musk’s company SpaceX, it’s latest rocket launched on the 20th of April, the mass promotion with tweets such as “10 minutes to launch” (Musk, 2023) on the day reached millions of users, urging them to be sitting at their edge of their seats for the rare launch into space by using Twitter to share footage and live updates. It is vital to acknowledge the effects of influential personalities like Musk using Twitter or other social media platforms go beyond financial benefits. It empowers individuals to follow specific brandings and to cultivate their own unique branding in the online space, potentially impacting social change, whether positively or negatively.

The Dual Power of Twitter: Impacting Society Positively and Negatively Through the Networked Self:

The power of the networked self is that one voice can impact a society. Celebrities can connect with their fans to spread encouraging messages, for example, Ives (2021) pointed out that in Indonesia, popular Indonesian celebrities have been using social media platforms, including Twitter, to encourage their fans to get vaccinated against Covid-19. This has led to an increase in the number of people getting vaccinated, which is a positive development in the fight against the pandemic. However, it should also be noted that personal branding of celebrities or individuals with a large following can also be intentionally misleading or biased, which can have a negative impact on the online social landscape, especially when it becomes widely known to the public. During the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Twitter has been flooded with virus-related content, as well as misinformation such as many individuals using the hashtag #apocalyse2020, causing fear and mistrust of the government to arise. (Rosenberg et al, 2020, p.418). This example above demonstrates networked publics, where the divide has simultaneously caused a space for a collection of people who share the same view. These Twitter conspiracies have caused users to experience mental distress and think negatively (Lanyi, et al., 2022). In short, it is clear Twitter is a powerful tool for massive following to promote social and political causes and to cultivate personal branding.

 

The cynicism of online personal branding is the intentional spread of misleading information which can negatively affect the online social landscape. Gorbatov et al., (2019) has described online personal branding as an act of developing, placing, and upholding a favorable perception of oneself. Therefore, the distinct blend of personal traits communicated in a particular pledge to the intended audience via visual elements or distinctive storytelling becomes a memorable way to reach and impact followers. The networked media ecologies demonstrate that introducing new elements for amplifying, recording, and spreading information can shape publics and how people negotiate them. An idea or assumption therefore can reshape the direction of ideas, fact and theory and play a role in not only configuring interactions but also the spiraling of a false narrative (Boyd, 2010). This is where self-presentation plays a key role, users may share differently on platforms such as Twitter depending on their perception of their key audience (Zheng, 2020). Therefore, self-enhancing idealism may be at core of the spread of misleading information.

 

Twitter’s Social and Political Movements: Amplifying Voices and Fostering Digital Activism:

Moreover, Twitter has also played a significant role in a number of social and political movements, from #BlackLivesMatter movement and to all the way to the #MeToo movement. The platform has provided a space for marginalised groups to mobilise, amplify their voices, and call for change. Thanks to Twitter’s introduction of hashtags, which indicate the use of categories, topics, or keywords in users’ tweets, has transformed the platform into an interactive communication tool. The hashtag a way to form a networked public, allows people or groups who share common interests or perspectives to connect and engage with each other (Evans, 2016). This can be seen in Twitter’s involvement in the #BlackLivesMatter movement is evident, particularly in how the hashtag originated from the publicised death of Trayvon Martin, an African American teenager, in 2012 (Lu, 2020). Since the hashtag’s emergence, it has brought global attention to the unequal treatment of African Americans by the police in the United States, leading to an online movement that aimed to unite and mobilise the African American community to raise awareness about the injustices they face, and empower individuals to advocate for change. Furthermore, Users on Twitter not only uses hashtags such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement has not only offered a platform for underrepresented communities to unit and moblise, but Many individuals will also use them identifies online to showcase their values and beliefs online. Xiong et al. (2018) identified the #MeToo movement on Twitter as the epicenter of a larger movement originating in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke to support victims of sexual violence. Burke used her networked to aid millions of people, establishing a safe haven on Twitter and other social media platforms, where survivors of sexual assault could share their narratives, connect with others, and obtain support and recovery. The emergence of these Twitter movements that tackle social issues like discrimination against people of colour and sexual assault has prompted many individuals to engage in establishing a platform for digital activism, allowing them to promote their cause and to influence coordinative action.

It is also important to consider that the network self allows individuals to be passively involved in movements, the belief existing solely in the online space. For instance, Stever & Lawson (2013) highlights that many celebrities utilise Twitter as a means of online branding, allowing them to connect with their fans through social agenda without the need to divulge any personal information, only what they wish the viewer to know and see. An example was 2011 Egyptian Revolution where Twitter users from different countries who speak different languages were able to connect and join the protesting movement, with retweets and translated hashtags Eltantawy & Wiest (2011). This formation of an online community on a global scale is to amplify voice is regularly used by celebrities such as Rihanna in 2020, sharing a photo of Australia on fire with the words “Devastating #Australia” as a reaction to the bushfires at the time and to prompt others (Rhianna, 2020). Soon after there was a movement shift from awareness to passive involvement, celebrities donating towards the bushfires and sharing via social media sites, Instagram and Twitter and also prompted followers of these celebrities to follow suit. Therefore, there is a power in prompting to engage in digital activism which can influence coordinative action.

Twitter as a Platform for Independent Journalism and Creating a Digital Self-Narrative:

A platform for anyone to share their thoughts is an opportunity to create a digital self-narrative. Twitter has facilitated independent journalism, disrupting the monopoly of traditional news outlets as the only source for the latest news. As a result, anyone can now tweet news stories and contribute to the flow of information (Brems et al., 2016) has investigated that Twitter has become a platform where journalists are motivated to establish their personal brand to position themselves as a news and opinion hub, thus increasing their “market value.”  This has led to a significant shift in how people consume news, with many now turning to their Twitter feed as a primary source for the latest news, diverging from traditional news consumption patterns. As users increasingly turn to their Twitter feeds as their main source of news by following a large number of journalists, they gain access to a platform that offers a faster way to receive breaking news and updates than traditional news sources. Leetaru (2019) states Twitter serves as a platform that provides real-time updates on breaking news, allowing us to experience events as they unfold on the ground and offering the earliest possible warning signal to everyone. This can be seen in the 2013 Boston marathon bombing that left three people dead and many injured. Ritholz (2013) states news of the bombing started spreading on Twitter and played a vital role in the initial reporting of the bombing as eyewitnesses on the ground started sharing information, such as details about the explosions, photos and videos, and the extent of the damage. Given the impact Twitter has in the digital world, news delivered this way empowered people by offering them a space to contest established power structures and societal norms.  

Twitter’s Role in Changing Political Communication and Empowering People: 

Twitter is not only changing the way people report on the news but changing the landscape on how politicians and political leaders to communicate with their followers directly, bypassing traditional media channels. This has allowed politicians to connect with their followers in real-time and share their views and opinions instantly. During the 2016 elections, Donald Trump, the former US president, used Twitter to promote his message and gain influence. Later, as the President, he continued to use Twitter to connect with his followers and share his opinions and policies with the public. For instance, Robertson (2021) mentions how Donald Trump used Twitter as a management tool, providing him with immediate access to communicate with the public to make announcements without relying on traditional media channels. This allowed him to publicly announce the dismissal of US Cabinet secretaries and exert influence over major corporations. Trump also used Twitter as a tool of diplomacy, although somewhat unconventional, to issue personal threats of war against the President of Iran and to flaunt America’s nuclear capabilities in order to intimidate North Korea. It can be clear how Twitter empowered people by offering them a space to contest established power structures and societal norms, such as it has changed the way news is consumed, allowing for independent journalism and real-time updates on breaking events. Politicians and leaders can now communicate with their followers directly through the platform, bypassing traditional media channels. Twitter has empowered people by providing a space to contest established power structures and societal norms, allowing anyone to share their thoughts and contribute to the flow of information.

Conclusion: 

Evidently it is fair to conclude that the rise of Twitter has allowed the potential of the networked self to emerge in an online space. The impact of Twitter is far beyond its original purpose, an individual can shift thinking of their followers, on a small scale to promote and lure interest into their personal brand to shifting ideas in masses. The platform also has the power to sustain networked publics, specifically hashtag activism like #BlackLivesMatter and the #MeToo movements in recent times. The platforms’ ability to turn traditional power structures on their head creates space for anyone from anywhere to share their story whether it is truth or not, either way if it trends can impacting millions of users across the globe.

 

References:

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