Will The

Real You

Please

Stand Up?How Social Media

Creates An IdentityBy Trilby Goouch

When it comes

to social media,

you create

your identity.Image source: flickr

You can be whoever

you want to be…

a chef,fashionista,

PR expert or „lifestyle journalist‟.Image source: flickr

You create your lifestyle. The lifestyle you

portray is entirely constructed and shaped

how you want it to appear.Image source: flickr

Income and

social class

differences

disappear;

even if you

can‟t afford

a Chanel tote,

you can pin it

on your

style board.Image source: flickr

Talents can become inflated; you can

define yourself as a stellar cook or

baker.Image source: flickr

Imagine someone you idolize.

Better yet, a blogger you look up to.

With a searches, clicks and copy

and pasting, the copycat

phenomena is taken to a whole new

level.

26% of fashion inspiration comes

from bloggers -The Social Psychology of the Self by Christine Erickson

Image source: flickr

You can take a photo of a delicious

detox salad with the caption „dinner

tonight!‟, which you posted as you

munched on rice crispies.Image source: flickr

You can dress yourself up every

morning, take a photo and post

your „what I‟m wearing‟ photo, just

as soon as you throw your

sweatpants back on and head back

to bed.

Image source: flickr

You can share your health and diet

tips, blogging about your amazing

detox experience, when in actual

fact you kicked and screamed the

whole way through it.

Image source: flickr

You take selfies to put yourself out

there, hoping for likes and

comments to reaffirm your worth.

After all, 2/3 of women regard

selfies positively -The Social Psychology of the Self by Christine Erickson

Image source: flickr

When you post a photo onInstagramand

the „like‟ notifications

come pouring

in, you feel

confident and

keen to post

more.

When they

don‟t, you

question

yourself.Image source: flickr

When someone retweets

what you have to say,

you feel important and

confident in your

voice.

When you lose a

follower, you feel

dejected and unsure

of your opinion.

The selfie seeks reassurance and

makes a statement about yourself.–The Social Psychology of

the Self by Christine Erickson

Image Source: flickr

You strategically blog about trips to

expensive restaurants, nights out at

swanky clubs or new purchases.

Slowly, you begin to spend less

time living, and more time

imagining and conveying the life

you‟d like to lead.

Image Source: flickr

It‟s the „where I‟ve

been and what I‟m

doing‟ phenomenon.–The

Social Psychology of the Self by Christine Erickson

You visit places

so you can say

you‟ve been there;

an underlying

incentive

develops. Image Source: flickr

So…why so cynical?

“We rely on others‟ perceptions,

judgments and appraisals to develop

our social self”-The Social Psychology of the Self by Christine Erickson

Image Source: flickr

Blogging, tweeting and

Instagramming has the potential to

produce creativity and facilitate

sharing experiences.

However, it has the potential to

cause us to fall out of touch with

reality.Image Source: flickr

It becomes dangerous when

we look toaspirational figures

and define them by their blogs,

Instagram photos and number

of twitter followers.

In the end, we‟re all portraying

our ideal self.Image Source: flickr

Take all social

media with a grain

of salt.

Whether your

photo or Facebook

status is liked, or

your Twitter handle

followed, at the

end of the day

you‟re no different.Image Source: flickr

Be more conscious of your life in

the moment, not that of your avatar.Image Source: flickr

Have fun with your blogging,

tweeting and pic-stiching, but don‟t

get too attached.

At the end of the day, it‟s more

important to invest energy in your

actions, rather than your words.Image Source: flickr