Identity Production on Social Media: The Narrative of Second-generation Youth of Sinhalese Sri Lankan Origin in New Zealand

Handapangoda, Wasana Sampath

doi:10.26686/jnzs.v0i21.3905

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Future research could assess cultural appropriation, affiliation, and a p p r e c i a t i o n a n d h o w e a c h r e l a t e s t o identity negotiation decisions (Chew, 2021). In addition, future research could assess the degree to which people will use a virtual avatar or social media account as a vehicle for intercultural identity formation (Handapangoda, 2015). Finally, future studies could assess the degree to which videogame players design avatars that parallel themselves, experiment with alternative selves, and/or if players take the opportunity that videogames offer to deconstruct certain cultural narratives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

Willis

Guo

Lin

2023

Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities

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Online social networks are increasingly consequential in individuals’ professional and personal lives, as many people engage online to create and maintain meaningful relationships and satisfy their needs for social connection. People tend to curate their online representations (profile pictures for different websites, videogame avatars, bitmojis, profile page bios, etc.) with almost as much regularity as their corporeal (real-world) self-presentation. As such, the current study explored the socially utilitarian choices people make when presenting themselves in both the corporeal and virtual public spheres. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing various aspects of their self-presentation and behavior in real-life, social media, and online videogames. We found several differences in self-presentation strategies in both online and offline contexts based primarily on ethnoracial background, sex, and skin tone. Minority women (particularly Multiracial women) reported dyeing their hair significantly more than White women, and the overwhelming majority reported dyeing their hair a lighter color than their natural hair color. Women use more emojis and exclamation points in emails and digital interactions than men, and they are more likely to use skin lightening filters before posting a selfie on social media. In addition, we found a descriptive pattern indicating that straight women and bisexual women dating men use more filters than lesbians and bisexual women dating women. Finally, in online videogames, men who are below average height reported creating videogame avatars that were taller than they were, individuals with darker skin tones reported creating avatars with skin tones lighter than their own, and introverts reported that they pretend to be extroverted in videogames more than extroverts reported pretending to be introverted. This study highlights the importance of online self-presentation on people’s social lives and the strategies that people utilize to align how they believe they are socially perceived with a more idealized version of themselves, or a version of themselves that will confer greater social capital than what they believe they naturally embody. Given the increasing possibilities of identity customization in the virtual public sphere, further research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between online and offline self-presentation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

Willis

Guo

Lin

2023

Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Future research could assess cultural appropriation, affiliation, and appreciation and how each relates to identity negotiation decisions (Matthew Ming-tak Chew, 2021). In addition, future research could assess the degree to which people will use a virtual avatar or social media account as a vehicle for intercultural identity formation (Handapangoda, 2015). Finally, future studies could assess the degree to which videogame players design avatars that parallel themselves, experiment with alternative selves, and/or if players take the opportunity that videogames offer to deconstruct certain cultural narratives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

[Published] - Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

Simanian¹,

Willis²

2022

Preprint

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This study focuses on the utilitarian strategy of identity negotiation. Analyzing interaction patterns in emails and text messages, we found that women use emojis more frequently than men. In addition, we found that women report using significantly more exclamation points than men and that men are likely to report not using exclamation points that much in general. In analyses of the utilization of skin lightening filters for social media posts, we found that skin lightening filters are used more frequently by women than by men. In addition, women may be unconsciously making themselves appear whiter via lightning filters in hopes that it will maximize the socially utilitarian payoff of their virtual self-brand. In short, individuals may feel that making their skin look lighter will increase their social capital (likes, views, etc.). Only subjects with the lightest skin gradient indicated using emojis/filters to try and appear darker. Finally, we found a descriptive pattern indicating that straight women and bisexual women dating men use more filters than bisexual women dating women and lesbians.

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Identity Production on Social Media: The Narrative of Second-generation Youth of Sinhalese Sri Lankan Origin in New Zealand

Cited by 2 publications

References 22 publications

Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

[Published] - Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

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