Identity Online

 Identity Online 

Create a blog entry that introduces two frameworks for considering identity. Then, use one of these frameworks to compare a major pop musician’s public social media presence on two of the following platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok. Include screenshots to illustrate your ideas about the identities they are constructing for their audiences.

Identity online can be considered in multiple ways but is predominantly described as a set of resources which people refer to and it is important to say that it is not a singular identity, but it is multiple identities. Identity online is who you want to be but also how you want others to perceive you and how other people do perceive you.’ (Barton and Lee). This concept provides an understanding of self-representation online. In this essay, two frameworks for considering identity will be discussed. Social Identity Theory and Self Categorization Theory. Social Identity theory was developed by social psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner in 1979. (Hogg M, 2016). Tajfel believed that social identity was “an individual’s knowledge that he belongs to certain social groups together with some emotion and value significance to him of this group membership”. (Tajfel, 1972, p. 292). The self categorization theory was created by Turner and colleagues after Tajfel’s death in 1982 and consists of three levels of self-categorization that are important to the self-concept. The superordinate category of the self as human being (or human identity), the intermediate of the self as a member of a social ingroup as defined against the other groups of humans (social identity) and the subordinate level of personal self-categorizations based on interpersonal comparisons (personal identity). (Hornsey M, 2008). In this essay, the self-categorization theory will be used to compare Taylor Swift’s social media presence on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Taylor Swift is highly known for connecting with her fans through her music and online presence. Taylor has created many social identities on the platforms she uses. Her use of Twitter and Instagram provides an interesting comparison of how she uses self-categorization theory to create different social identities on each platform.

 

For example, on Twitter she has a loyal fanbase where she currently has 92.7 million followers, and she uses the platform to share updates on her music, personal life and social causes she supports. She frequently uses hashtags and retweets to connect with her fans and promote her music.

  

Her most recent post on Twitter is promoting her music which is the same for Instagram with the same picture and caption however a difference to this on Twitter is that it has 28.4k comments however on Instagram her comments are off which is unusual as she interacts with her fans a lot on Twitter by retweeting posts and commenting. Perhaps because she does this on Twitter, she does not want to do it on Instagram as well.

Additionally, on Twitter, as stated before, she uses it to express her social stances and causes she supports.

For instance, after the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Taylor expressed her anger and grief about the matter on Twitter, but she did not do that on Instagram, in my opinion this is because Instagram is used more for the social aspect and Twitter could be used for a more political aspect. Taylor is expressing a negative stance on the subject here because of her use of emotional nouns, ‘grief and rage’. This is because she is expressing her support for Texas and as seen below a commenter replies with gratitude that Taylor, who is a huge celebrity and can have lots of influence on many things, shows her support for a community in heartbreak.

Taylor’s use of self-categorization theory is evident in the way she interacts with her fans and by doing so she is reinforcing her social identity as a celebrity who cares about her fans and the causes they support. Another example of her using Twitter as a political cause is her expression for LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights. As seen below she is showing her support for the senate to support trans and LGBTQ+ rights and also her disappointment for the sexism in the modern-day Netflix show ‘Ginny and Georgia’ describing Taylor’s love life, when she believes that they should be focusing on her hard work and achievements. 

In contrast to this, Taylor shares pictures of her friends on Instagram whereas on Twitter she does this slightly less, but it is not significantly less to be a solid argument.

 

In conclusion, Taylor Swift’s use of the self-categorization theory on her social platforms provides a colourful insight into how celebrities can create and modify their social identities based on context and situational factors. By using different social media platforms Taylor can showcase different aspects of her life and connect with her fans on a deeper level and because of this she has built a strong loyal fanbase. Finally, her support for social and political causes has helped her to create inclusive social categories who may feel excluded in other social groups.

Bibliography

Barton D, Lee C. 2013. Language Online: Investigating digital texts and Practices. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon. Routledge.  

Hogg M. 2016. Social Identity Theory. In: McKeown S, Haji R, Ferguson N. (eds). Understanding Peace and Conflict through Social Identity Theory. [No place]. Springer.

Hornsey M. 2008. Social Identity Theory and Self Categorization Theory: A Historical Review. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. Volume 2, Issue 1. pp. 204-222. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00066.x

Tajfel, H. 1972. Social categorization. English manuscript of ‘La catégorisation sociale’. In S. Moscovici (Ed.), Introduction à la psychologie sociale (Vol. 1, pp. 272–302). Paris: Larousse.