When discussing identity construction in the digital realm, I think about the subject-object problem: does the medium itself become an object that some people use to actively construct their identities? Or does the media itself function as the subject that most significantly influences how the general public constructs their identity? In this blog, I attempt to provide an explanation by using online shopping malls like Amazon as an example of a medium between customers and goods that are specific to the digital era and have a direct bearing on the lives of most people.
Goffman’s theory emphasises the importance of social performance and “face”. He compares social interaction to performing on a stage, “the self” is a core concern.（Scannell, 2007）To maintain and protect their social face, people adopt various roles in various social contexts. In the virtual realm, people similarly create their online personas. For instance, customers may use online shopping to define their traits by selecting particular brands. To keep their social face valid, they might post reviews of their purchases. Currently, consumers use the medium as a tool to construct their identities.
The influence of media and landscape on the individual is highlighted by Guy Debord’s of landscape. A visual, objective view, a scene that is given, as well as a subjective, deliberate performance or display, are the fundamental definitions of landscape. It seems sense that a small group of individuals build the landscape in order to hide reality and lull viewers into a charming delusion(Debord, 2021). Social media, advertisements, and online platforms can all be thought of as virtual landscapes in the digital age. For example, recommendation algorithms filter and sort information to construct an individual’s digital media information landscape in customized suggestions on shopping platforms.
Hepp(2016) distinguishes between the concepts of mediate and mediatize and argues that our society is a highly mediated society, i.e. the media and society itself are integrated and intertwined, and that there is no single causal relationship in which the media influence society. The media is a tool used to connect individuals and society, and it also influences their daily lives and behaviour.
In e-commerce platforms, for example, platforms analyse user behaviour and preferences to create personalised websites. At the same time, these platforms act as mediums to convey information through personalised recommendations and advertisements that also shape other users’ digital identities. Consumers are both subjects and objects of the platform.
As Heidegger(1977) puts it, the being is temporality itself, historicity itself. That is, we comprehend ourselves as the result of history (In-der-Welt-sein), rather than dissecting the world in the position of subject-object. Going back to the initial question, I contend that it is challenging for the medium and the masses to shape the subject and the object in the digital age. While there are more platforms and chances in the digital age for people to construct their identities, these platforms were made specifically because people needed them.
“Social Media may be the ‘new stage’ for many, but for a lot of us, it is the Medium to say things that we find hard to voice otherwise. ”（Haziq,2019).
Reference:
MF3D. (2022). Digital background depicting innovative technologies in security systems, data protection Internet technologies (image). Available from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/digital-security-concept-gm1435982983-477154528?phrase=Construction+of+identity+in+a+digital+world [Accessed 24 October 2022].
RapidEye. (2018). A young man looks towards camera at a transparent interactive screen with data and the padlock password symbol on it, reaching out to tap the padlock symbol. (image). Available from https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/man-using-keyboard-looks-at-password-symbol-on-interactive-screen-gm913298820-251406483?phrase=Construction+of+identity+in+a+digital+world [Accessed 05 February 2018].
Debord, G. (2021). The society of the spectacle. Unredacted Word.
Couldry, N.and Hepp, A. (2016). The Mediated Construction of Reality: society, culture, mediatization. Cambridge, UK.
Heidegger, M.and von Herrmann, F. W. (1977). Sein und zeit (Vol. 2). Tübingen: M. Niemeyer.
Scannell, P. (2007) ‘ Communication as interaction: Goffman and Garfinkel, USA, 1950s-1970s’’, in Media and Communication. London: Sage.
Haziq, S. (2019) Putting the best digital self forward in the age of Social Media, Medium. Available from https://medium.com/@haziqsabreen25/putting-the-best-digital-self-forward-in-the-age-of-social-media-d3dbec422b73 (Accessed: 07 November 2023).
Your exploration of identity construction in the digital realm connected with my experience, especially delving into the subject-object problem. The analogy of online shopping platforms as a medium for identity shaping hits home as I often find myself curating my online persona through brand choices and reviews.
Goffman’s theory and Debord’s landscape concept add depth, revealing the performative nature of social interaction and the curated digital environments shaped by recommendation algorithms. Hepp’s distinction between mediate and mediatize, highlights the intricate relationship between media and society. furthermore, the notion that individuals are both subjects and objects in e-commerce platforms is intriguing, it emphasises the complexity of digital identity shaping, something we’ve all experienced firsthand. As you explore Heidegger’s perspective on being and temporality, questioning how the medium and the masses shape the subject and the object in the digital age, you raise fundamental inquiries that align with my own reflections on the interplay between technology, individual agency, and societal dynamics. How do you envision individuals, including yourself, navigating this complex relationship to authentically construct their identities amongst the influence of digital landscapes and algorithms?
Seeing your blog opened up new ideas for me, from identity construction in the digital field to media, and then from media to society. Media and society are integrated around us, and we can’t avoid timeliness and history itself.
Your blog is fantastic! It’s like a treasure trove of knowledge presented in such a fun and easy-to-understand way. The writer’s expertise makes complex topics feel like a breeze. I couldn’t stop reading—it’s informative and entertaining all at once! Awesome job!