Pearson (2009) suggests that the owners of pages on social networking sites can be compared to actors in performances. I must say that I agree with this theory.
The creators of these pages are able to mould their identity into whatever they like through the use of pictures and words. They can describe their interests and hobbies without any evidence of being involved in these activities.Does having the ability to edit your identity online give you the opportunity to perform as someone else?
Goffman (1959, quoted in Pearson 2009) describes social interaction as performance in the sense that humans are constantly sharing their identity with others. Social networking websites such as Facebook, support this theory as users showcase their lives to others.
Facebook (2011) now allows users to ‘check-in’ to their location so that virtual friends can know their whereabouts. For some online performers, this tool is used in order to enhance their social status by ‘checking-in’ at places which are cool and trendy even when they are not there.
Reputations can also be created virtually when these websites allow users to carefully mould and display who their 'friends' are.Social networking sites allow users to convince all of their online friends that they are more exciting than what they really are.
Reference List
Facebook 2011. Accessed 14 March 2011 at www.facebook.com
Pearson, Erika. 2009. "All the World Wide Web's a stage: the Performance of Identity in Online Social Networks" in First Monday, Volume 14, Number 3. Accessed March 14, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3612480_1&displayName=Week+2+Readings&course_id=_74007_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Ffirstmonday.org%2Fhtbin%2Fcgiwrap%2Fbin%2Fojs%2Findex.php%2Ffm%2Farticle%2Fview%2F2162%2F2127.
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