Shape Shifting Across Social Media. (February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Davidson, Brittany I.; Joinson, Adam N.
• Is Part Of: Social media + society. Volume 7:Number 1(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Subjects: social media -- online identity -- repertory grids -- self-presentation -- audience management; Social media -- Periodicals; Social media -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 302.231
• DOI: 10.1177/2056305121990632
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2056-3051

Abstract

Individuals change and adapt their behavior according to their social situation (e.g., transitioning from work to home). However, how does this shape shifting of self-presentations and identity translate into various online platforms? This exploratory study utilizes a novel and mixed methodological approach to better understand user behavior across social media platforms. We interviewed 22 participants and employed a repertory grid technique to reveal deeper similarities and differences in behavior across various online platforms. We found that users had a variety of strategies for managing multiple audiences across multiple platforms . Almost all participants actively separated their professional (e.g., LinkedIn) and social (e.g., Facebook or Instagram) oriented platforms typically by self-censorship of posts rather than utilizing audience management tools. Via the repertory grid technique, we revealed a number of more subtle nuances of how participants reflect on how and why they maintain a number of social media identities.