The Construction Of Identity Through Social Media Platform: Facebook - Essay Example

Most of these identities, are constructed in anonymity where, individuals take advantage of Multi-User domains that enable the exploration of multiple self-identities (Gonzales & Hancock 172). Most of the anonymity constructed online result from an influence by age nationality or race and gender. However, social networking associated with Web 2.0 has contributed to the embracing of non-anonymity in regard to constructing identities via online. This results from the fact that, social networking sites that use Web 2.

0 allows users a significant opportunity in terms of constructing and examining one’s self-identity since, this sites, for example, Facebook, eliminates anonymity because of an emphasis on membership in enhancing social networking. This further, contributes to members sing up using their actual identities. Facebook is specifically created for the purposes of enhancing friendship among individuals within the society at large (Boyd & Ellison 215). Facebook as a means of enhancing social networking is popular globally with a clientele of over fifty million users.

Despite Facebook encouraging users to sign up with their real identity, there are two components in Facebook platform that is not subject to any sort of privacy which, includes an individual’s name and their gender. It is a common occurrence in Facebook that, most users sign up using a false identity or an alias. However, the most important issue in this regard involves how users considered as non-anonymous engage in the construction of self-identity (Kennedy 862). The first instance related to the construction of identity in Facebook involves user’s or individual’s profile picture.

The profile picture that a user uploads may act as a power statement of what a person would like other users to perceive him or her within the realm of social networking. A part of constructing an identity on a media platform, most people engage in uploading profile pictures that project them as personalities who have achieved in life. This may involve taking a picture in an office to project oneself as employed while, in the real sense that person is not employed. To friends, this construction of identity in the social media is taken as real, and individual’s networking on Facebook actually believes on what the profile picture depicts (Kennedy 865).

In essence, the sites that allow for social networking such as the Facebook presents an avenue for enhancing self-presentation using complex profiles. Through Facebook, individuals can share their world views and details about themselves with friends and also, strangers. In the process of authoring ones profile, individuals often think about the details they would want to share and those they intend to omit. During this process of creating and structuring one’s own profile, an identity is constructed that is represented using photographs or texts (DiMicco & Millen 384).

As a result, the created information on Facebook, becomes a user’s measure of establishing the self that is presented to other users networking on Facebook. Most people engaging in social networking on sites such as Facebook often engage in a careful selection of an identity that they deem suitable to present to a particular audience. While engaging in the construction of an identity, most users often choose the self that synchronizes with the friends they interact with on Facebook. According to the studies conducted up to date, the construction of an online identity, is mostly influenced by one’s self-esteem, religious and gender representation (DiMicco & Millen 384).

Further, the elements related to profile in Facebook,