Concepts of Authenticity and Self hood in Social

Networking.

Submitted by Esperance on September 3, 2016

Are people authentically themselves on Facebook and those that aren’t simply appear as

fraudsters? This will form the basis of this paper, by assessing the reliability of this

impression.

In psychology, Kuper (2001) contends that identity is the continuation of personality over

time. Implying that identity is expression of ourselves to others through ways in which we

interact thus revealing to us and them who we are. In this light, identity is thus hardly

inauthentic.

While joining Facebook contents are to be filled in the application form, once filled it creates

a visible you in the social world and resurrects relationships with acquaintances that

recognize your identity but are geographically separated, former classmates in school, or long

lost friends. This reveals interactivity with them at some point developed your identity.

Having joined Facebook you become visible and contacts from long ago recognize you and

reignite

friendship once had.

On the other hand one can opt to inputs in fake first and last names or photos of places not in

their image. Therefore, indicating a part of themselves that they can only construct in

Facebook thus becoming an extension of their life’s mind. What is not possible for them to

relay in their physical individuality they now extend into the face book platform and share in

images of photos or thoughts in text. Nevertheless, with this a rapport can be built with other

users and interactions established creating an identity.

It becomes evident that there is nothing a fraud identity but rather what one in some way was

inhibited to express in their physical being but is at ease communicating in Facebook. For that

reason they are able to live their life, mind, body and soul in Facebook.

Reference:

McNeil,L. (2012).There Is No "I" in Network: Social Networking Sites and Post human Auto/Biography. Biography, 35 (1),65-82. doi:10.1353/bio.2012.0009