Authentic Identity Expression on Social Media | Acacia Chan | TEDxWallaWallaUniversity
The speaker argues that social media forces the complex act of self-expression, leading to four key struggles: the pressure to express everything, balancing authenticity, identity crisis, and connection overload. She proposes solving these by compartmentalizing identity based on context, using different platforms for different emotional needs, and letting mutual interests guide relationships.
## Speakers & Context
- Unnamed speaker: Half Japanese, half Chinese woman.
- Currently a biblical languages major with a psychology minor, studying Koine Greek.
- Is an "introverted extrovert" who was raised in New England and roots for the Red Sox and the Patriots.
- Addresses the audience's potential lack of knowledge regarding her multifaceted identity.
- Notes that the "identity imperative" to express all aspects of self is a relatively new cultural phenomenon.
## Theses & Positions
- Social media, combined with the identity imperative, forces users to find solutions for self-expression struggles.
- The difficulty in expressing identity online requires recognizing that *context matters* when choosing what to share.
- Authenticity on social media is a "balancing act" between revealing too much (leading to vulnerability) and revealing too little (appearing fake or unapproachable).
- The "abundance of potential connections" is both a gift (global connection) and a trap (overwhelming options).
- The ultimate goal is to use social media as a means to *express* self, not as a "popularity contest."
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Identity Imperative:** The pressure in current society to express all aspects of oneself.
- **Authenticity:** The delicate balance between revealing too much (vulnerability/naivety) and revealing too little (guarded/unapproachable).
- **Kindred Spirits:** A state of deep, mutual understanding and shared secrets between friends, exemplified by Diana and Lucy Maud Montgomery's character in *Anne of Green Gables*.
- **Compartmentalize my identity:** The strategy of recognizing that not everyone needs to know everything about oneself at any given point in time; tailoring revelations to specific contexts.
- **Global Connections:** The ability to form relationships anywhere in the world through online platforms.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Communication Evolution:** Transitioned from email updates, text messages, and Christmas cards (private sphere) to public social media posting (public sphere).
- **Identity Sharing Strategy:**
- **Facebook:** Used for posting "background information" (university affiliation, special occasions) to maintain a public/professional "personal brand" and reputation.
- **Tumblr:** Used for revealing private, less structured emotions (crushes, bad days) to a sympathetic community that allows for anonymity.
- **Mutual Interests:** Letting shared, specific interests (e.g., cross-stitching, ancient Chinese murder mysteries) guide social interactions to focus on similarities.
- **Self-Protection:** Purposefully phrasing statements to avoid attracting extreme reactions, thus avoiding the visibility that attracts "loudest voices."
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Prior to Social Media:** Relied on email, texts, and Christmas cards for social updates, expressing herself only to her "sphere of influence."
- **Social Media Entry:** First Facebook account in sophomore year of college.
- **Current Status:** Period of self-reflection leading to developing strategies for online expression.
## Named Entities
- **Pew Research Study:** Conducted in **2015**, reported that **65%** of American adults use social media.
- **Sherry Turkle:** Author of the book *Alone Together*.
- **Red Sox, Patriots:** Sports teams rooting interests.
- **Lucy Maud Montgomery:** Author referenced regarding kindred spirits.
- **Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook:** Specific social media platforms used for different functions.
## Numbers & Data
- Percentage of US adults using social media: **65%** (as of 2015).
- Age of speaker: **21** (when discussing leaving home).
- Number of houses moved: **6** (moved six different times).
- Facebook posting frequency: Has not posted to her own Facebook account in **months**.
- Tumblr users: **550 million**.
## Examples & Cases
- **Failure to Post:** Speaker observes that her Facebook profile shows more things others have written about her than things she has written about herself.
- **Identity Platform Contrast:** On Pinterest, she was a "daydreamer who loved gorgeous gowns and pictures of sweeping scenery," motivated by fantasy; on Tumblr, she was an "amateur sleuth dedicated to deduction and reason."
- **Connection Building:** Relating to the *Anne of Green Gables* concept of kindred spirits, recognizing that such deep, lifelong bonds are rare in a mobile society.
- **Online Connection Support:** Cites seeing Tumblr friends offer sympathy and support after posting about fights with their parents.
- **Personal Example:** Will not walk up to someone and declare, "I'm an Asian American female who likes ancient Chinese murder mysteries" in real life because it is unexpected.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Social Media:** General category encompassing Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest.
- **Facebook:** Used for sharing "background information" and maintaining a "personal brand."
- **Tumblr:** Used for sharing emotional vulnerability to an anonymous, sympathetic community.
- **Pinterest:** Used when the speaker was motivated by "fantasy" (gowns, scenery).
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The "identity imperative" is new because people are now *publicly* sharing every mistake and false step, rather than it being a struggle relegated to adolescence.
- The speaker notes that while the goal is to maximize honesty and minimize vulnerability, the "raised stakes in face-to-face conversations" make her more risk-averse.
- **The Caveat of Extreme Voices:** Social media popularity is based on reactions, and the "loudest voices are the ones that are the most extreme," which algorithms encourage.
## Methodology
- **Observation/Self-Analysis:** Analyzing personal posting patterns across different platforms (Facebook vs. Tumblr).
- **Categorization:** Developing a taxonomy of social media use based on the background information density available (high vs. low).
- **Pattern Identification:** Using mutual interests as the primary filter to guide social relationships.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The speaker has found happiness and freedom by maximizing honesty while minimizing vulnerability on social media.
- Solution is accepting the identity as a "fully authentic multifaceted human being," viewing the multifaceted nature as a diamond viewed from different angles.
- Advice given: Use mutual interests to guide social interactions and embrace the process of technological progress without expecting perfection.
## Implications & Consequences
- The current social media environment allows for the severance of connections during disagreement or abuse, which the speaker views as a necessary safeguard.
- Success in online self-expression can lead to increased risk aversion in face-to-face interactions, making the speaker "the queen of disclaimers."
- **Equality of the internet:** Guarantees everyone a voice and allows for activism, even if it doesn't guarantee moderation.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"Who am I online I could be anybody in the world a sumo wrestler in Japan or a kindergarten teacher in Minnesota"*
- *"The identity imperative the imperative to express all of ourselves"*
- *"I'm an introverted extrovert"*
- *"I'm a lover of progress but I always like to keep one foot in the past"*
- *"I don't like opening myself up to potential ridicule and and potential critique"*
- *"The balancing act of authenticity"*
- *"I tend not to share anything at all"*
- *"I am completely and totally myself a diamond when viewed from different angles"*
- *"making mutual interests the starting point for relationships streamlines the process and allows us to focus on our similarities as opposed to our differences"*
- *"I become the queen of disclaimers in conversation"*
- *"I have found happiness friends and freedom"*
- *"Now the question is yours who are you"*