| abstract | This thesis explores how social media effects the construction of selves and how, through these social media platforms,
selves challenge simplistic notions of identity, authenticity, and sexualization. Through my research I aim to answer these three questions: How do social
media platforms challenge ideas of identity and authenticity? How do people repurpose social media platforms in order to explore identity and authenticity?
How do people repurpose offline technologies to create spaces for empowerment online? All of these questions and the research that stemmed from them are
specific to the age range of thirteen to twenty-one years old, Millennials and Generation Z. The process for this thesis was conducted through reading
literature on the topics of the self in general, the self and how it is related to new technologies like social media, ethnographic research on teenagers
and their use of social media, and the actual terms of service, policy, and about sections of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Additionally, there were in-person interviews and online surveys conducted to take into account the perspectives of Millennials and Generation Z on their
use of social media platforms. This thesis shows that social media platforms challenge conventional ideas of identity and authenticity by asking users
to present their multiple selves on different platforms, allowing multiple versions of authenticity. People repurpose social media in order to fit their
specific social needs; we see this especially with the finsta platform. In realizing that selfies, self-stalking, and fuckboys are just modern versions
of things from the past we can see how people, specifically girls, are repurposing ideas of sexualization and creating space or platforms online where
they feel more empowered. It is hoped that this thesis will inform scholars about the complex relationship between the self and social media and provide
new questions to think about moving forward. |
