Does our profile at social media determine who we really are?
Assalamualaikum and good morning everyone,
The social identity theory suggests that ‘individuals strive to maintain or enhance their self esteem; they strive for a positive self concept' (Tajifel & Turner, 1979). In the past generations, people only need to maintain their social identity to the people around them and those who know them. But it is different for our generation today.
The arise of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and so on has made us create our profile online. We put our name, our hobbies, where we live, what we like and etc. But does our profile online really determine who we are? Do we really post the things that really show we are on the social media?
According to a blog that I have read, through social media, we can construct an identity that is either completely true to ourselves, or a different identity that we want to project to the outside world. Social media gives us choice whether we want to be ourselves or a totally new identity online. You can read more about it at https://www.simplyzesty.com/blog/article/january-2012/why-social-media-is-leading-to-a-new-era-of-identity.
The questions that I want to ask you today, why do you think, there are people who want to create a new identity online? If you are given the chance to be someone totally different on social media, would you take it? If yes, why? If no, why?
That is all from me. Thank you.
Reference:
Tajifel, H. & Turner, J. (1979). Differentiation Between Social Groups: Studies in the Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Academic Press: London.
The social identity theory suggests that ‘individuals strive to maintain or enhance their self esteem; they strive for a positive self concept' (Tajifel & Turner, 1979). In the past generations, people only need to maintain their social identity to the people around them and those who know them. But it is different for our generation today.
The arise of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and so on has made us create our profile online. We put our name, our hobbies, where we live, what we like and etc. But does our profile online really determine who we are? Do we really post the things that really show we are on the social media?According to a blog that I have read, through social media, we can construct an identity that is either completely true to ourselves, or a different identity that we want to project to the outside world. Social media gives us choice whether we want to be ourselves or a totally new identity online. You can read more about it at https://www.simplyzesty.com/blog/article/january-2012/why-social-media-is-leading-to-a-new-era-of-identity.
The questions that I want to ask you today, why do you think, there are people who want to create a new identity online? If you are given the chance to be someone totally different on social media, would you take it? If yes, why? If no, why?
That is all from me. Thank you.
Reference:
Tajifel, H. & Turner, J. (1979). Differentiation Between Social Groups: Studies in the Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Academic Press: London.
Salam Syahmina. Hi. Your topic really catch my attention dear. I've lots of friends who don't look like themselves when they are in social media. They posts didn't picture out themselves. they look like stranger to me. I think they become like that because they want to built their self esteem when facing the society. Maybe?
ReplyDeleteI've heard before that people use social media to gain their self esteem. They thought that when they post something like their picture and so what on social media, and when people like and comment on their post, they become more confident. However, that is a wrong way to built self esteem. This is because, when there are people who put on negative comments on their post, they might feel embarrassed and feel down. There is a reading that might increase our knowledge about social media and self esteem, https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2016/01/how-to-use-social-media-to-build-self-esteem/ .
If I was given a chance to become other people on social media, I prefer not to. This is because, there are lots of people out there who know my true self and me becoming other people on social media only cause people feel annoying to us and stay away from us.
Thank you Syahmina for your sharing. Good morning and good day to everyone.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the reason why some people likes to create new identity is because of either they want to portrayed their true identity or become others. For example, some people really like to show their location on that time to show that they are going to that place. Besides that, some people like to mention their status such as their relationship, their job, place of study and also their address.
However, they are some likes to be anonymous because they do not want to known by others. Some are using anonymous so that they can freely comment whatever they wanted because there will no one know who wrote that comment or post.
For the second question, i will say no for being totally different from my identity. This is because, i really do not likes to become others and i feel comfortable for being myself and shows who i really am. Besides that, i feel uncomfortable if i am lying to others even using social media.
However, i am not totally showing totally who i really are. For example, posting about an event. I will post it after the event was held such as the location and time. I will make sure that i am not in that place anymore. This is important for me to protect my identity and also my safety.
Terima Kasih Mina.
ReplyDeleteBenar sekali apa yang diperkatakan, ramai individu yang cuba menyembunyikan identiti mereka, boleh jadi mereka inginkan keselamatan.
Kita sedia makluam bahawa terdapat banyak jenayah cyber yang semakin berleluasa. Tetapi saya tidak pasti untuk yang menyamar dan sebagainya jika atas niat untuk mendatangkan kemudaratan kepada orang lain itu tidak sepatutnya berlaku, tetapi jika untuk kebaikan, seperti menjadi pendamaian antara yang bermasalah itu boleh diterima.
Saya akan memilih untuk menjadi diri saya sendiri, tetapi dalam kadar yang tidak terlalu mendedahkan diri saya, hal ini kerana media sosial hari ini boleh membahawa kepada kemudaratan jika tidak berhati-hati menyebarkan maklumat tentang hal pribadi, .
Wa'alaikumsalam. Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kak ceta, your topic is very interesting. Let's discuss further about it.
Due to the emergence of social media these days, some people consider it as an opportunity for them to construct another self-identity. In fact, it might be quite different in a real world. They tend to be someone else that "people like to see". I means some people would act based on the expectation of others. There is no wrong or right for this matter. It is everyone's decision to do whatever on his or her social media. Nevertheless, if I have a chance to be someone who totally different on social media, I will refuse it because I just want to be who I am and let people see the real me.
Hi Syahmina mina ey ey XD,
ReplyDeleteYou know, when I heard that there are people out there, who are willing to be different in the social media than they are in real life, it kind of hit me like, why do you choose to be someone that you are not? It makes no sense to be somebody different.
But then after few “counselling” from my friends, I started to realise that, they have their own reason for what they choose to be. Through the readings that I have made, I can conclude that for those who feel insecure with their life, tend to be somebody different in the virtual world. Perhaps this is because they do not enjoy being themselves in the real world, and they do not wish to live the same life in the virtual world. But, my interpretations could be untrue. Besides, how can I truly understand them when I am not even in their “league”?
For some people, they might choose to be different in the social media because they want to experience what it is like to be someone different than they are. For example, if he was a 27 year old guy, perhaps he wants to experience the life of a 16 year old girl. It is not really because he does not enjoy his real life, it is just that he wants to “experience” things.
But for me, if I were given a chance to be somebody different in the social media, I would deny the opportunity. This is because, I enjoy being myself. I do have insecurities, but that does not stop me from being myself in both, real and virtual world. Plus, why choose to be someone else, when you can be yourself? ;)
Waalaikumsalam and hye Nur syahmina. Really make me give more attention with this interesting topic.
ReplyDeleteFor my opinion, each people have their own right to portray their identity whether in social media or in reality life. But, the things that we can see nowadays identity of person mostly are different in term of social media profile and reality profile. Sometimes, people that post something in the social media have different personality rather than reality of his/her life.
For me, the people that actually want to create new identity in media social are because they are influenced by other people in larger group. For example, a person will post something about religious but actually in reality world he/she is the simple person that people look and sometimes people didn’t see where the religious style that he/she looked.
Another example is people will upload a beautiful faces in social media such as Facebook and Instagram. But in reality they are not have face like that. This shows that people have different identity in social media and reality life. According (Ganda, 2014) theory that suitable with this situation is exchange theory by (Homans 1958). This theory explains that individual perform their role in a way that they are rewarded for adhering to the conventions of the group. Additional, the actions in an individual’s performance can be based off the basic propositions of exchange theory as a way to understand which aspects of their performances work with specific audiences within the larger group.
Then, if I give chance to be someone totally different on social media I will choose not to be like that. It is because I am a person that doesn’t like to be pretend especially in my identity or personal profile. I hold my principle such as just be yourself.
That’s all from me. Thank you
Wa'alaikumussalam. terima kasih saudari Syahmina atas perkongsian yang diberikan.
ReplyDeletePerkongsian yang sangat menarik bagi saya. Benar, ramai orang pada masa kini suka menyembunyikan identiti mereka di laman sosial. Mereka sering menggunakan nama palsu, gambar individu lain serta maklumat-maklumat yang tidak benar di laman sosial mereka. mengapa perkara ini berlaku ?
Wanita terutamanya suka menyembunyikan identiti mereka. Mereka cenderung untuk menjadi individu lain di media sosial yang berperwatakan cantik, baik, kaya dan sebagainya. perkara ini biasanya untuk mencari teman dan menambahkan kenalan mereka di laman sosial. Individu yang melihat mereka di alam maya berasa tertarik untuk berkawan tetapi hakikat yang sebenar ianya berbeza dengan dunia yang nyata. Boleh jadi, wanita hanya menyamar untuk mengambil kesempatan. Diingatkan agar kita perlu sentiasa berhati-hati dengan keadaan ini supaya tidak menyesal di kemudian hari.
Saya lebih memilih untuk menjadi diri saya sendiri di laman sosial. Saya tidak akan melakukan sebarang penyamaran atau pendedahan maklumat yang palsu kerana niat saya bersosial adalah untuk mencari kenalan-kenalan lama dan baru untuk bersilaturahim.
Sekian daripada saya.
-Hanim-
Good Day Everyone,
ReplyDeleteWe are so concern about social media issues that sometime make us worry about what we do on social media might cause harm to us. I am not sure whether I am portraying myself exactly on social media or I might be different from what in real life. That I should leave the viewers to judge because different people might have a different perspective.
As far as I am concern, I always try to project the realest me in real life or virtually. On a second thought, I think social media is a platform for some people to at least get a little attention that they might not get from the real life. Those likes’ comments are sometimes a temporary calmative to those who seeks an escape from the real world. Still remember Users and Gratification theory? Escapism is one of the reason people choose to do with the media.
It just that, we need to practices moderation to almost all our action especially on social media because as we all know, it is just a temporary world that can be erased in a blink of the eye.
That is all from me, Thank You.
Nurul Atiqah Mohd Azman