Social personalities in sports: an analysis of the differences in individuals’ self-presentation on social networks

Abstract

People use the various social media very differently. And such activity clearly demonstrates how usage establishes notably differentiated characters and behaviours. This article bases itself on Goffman to apply his theory on people’s self-presentation to the field of social networks and to analyse such behaviour through various examples. Accordingly, we have quantitively and qualitatively investigated social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for 15 people in Germany from three different areas (sports, media/entertainment and politics). Our results allow us to determine clear differences in usage of different social media channels between the groups of people, but also among the sportspersons, above all regarding extent, way used or authenticity. We, therefore, advocate in future discussing multiple social personalities in social media instead of the appearance on it.

Me, myself, I:

“…The findings in this study challenge Zuckerberg's notion of having a single, authentic identity. Instead, it underscores the findings of Horky et al (2021), as well as Davidson and Joinson (2021), that people display multiple presentations of self across multiple platforms. Horky et al (2021, p. 20) describe this phenomenon as having "multiple social media personalities who display differently-configured social media characters".…”

“…Judging by its popularity and rapid growth, these technologies hold the key to unlocking networking possibilities in the interpersonal communication and marketing place. Social media platforms have become so deeply embedded in our daily lives that we rely on them for every need -from updates on daily news and critical events (Kapoor et al, 2018) and connecting with relatives and friends and forming new connections (Riccio, 2013), to post-purchase evaluations (Green, 2016), self-branding (van Dijck, 2016), and personal presentation (Horky et al, 2021). This holds true for the way in which we consume, but more specifically produce, media content.…”

“…This particular study found that journalists do not know how to balance their personal and professional identities through social media, and that guidelines are needed for managing professional and personal online identities. In a more recent study, Horky et al (2021) investigated social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for 15 people in Germany from three different areas (sports, media/entertainment, and politics). The study indicated that people present themselves as different social characters on social media networks: "an authentic businessperson, and a private person at the same time" (Horky et al, 2021, p. 19).…”

“On the Tour, They’re Always Sticking a Microphone in Your Face”: Mediatization of Professional Tennis From the 1980s to the Early 2010s

“…Accordingly, "the other side of mediatization" (Nölleke et al, 2021) should be examined even more closely, and a focus should be placed on defensive strategies, including shielding from the press. Additionally, the social media factor is of great interest; among other things, it allows the public to be reached without an intermediary journalistic system, and the athletes can easily present themselves (Horky et al, 2021;Nölleke & Birkner, 2019; for the case of Osaka, see Razack & Joseph, 2020). This development has already been examined in initial mediatization studies (e.g., Frandsen, 2016;Skey et al, 2018), yet further empirical research on the media orientation of athletes is needed.…”

Youth and social media: the affordances and challenges of online graffiti practice

“…Risk, safety, friendship, community formation and identity curation are themes explored among online LGBTQI+ communities (Byron et al, 2021; Hanckel et al, 2019; Jenzen, 2017). The impact of social media use and the intersection of self-presentation within the contexts of politics, protest, sports and celebrity are also explored (de Ruiter, 2015; Horky et al, 2021; Loader et al, 2016; Soriano, 2014). Another important area of study is social media use within personal spaces such as teenagers bedroom’s and how this impacts upon young peoples privacy (Berriman and Thomson, 2015; Hodkinson, 2017; Hodkinson and Lincoln, 2008; Robards, 2010).…”