The Impact of Social Media on Identity Formation By Bhavani Suri

In the modern digital world, social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) are integral to how people, particularly teens, view and project themselves. These sites provide means for self-expression, connection, and exploration, but they also present issues that can profoundly impact the development of identity.

Creating the Digital Self

Social media allows users to craft their digital personas, sometimes presenting idealized versions of their lives. This selective self-presentation can erase the distinction between a person’s true self and online persona. One empirical study conducted in 2024 discovered that 57% of the subjects admitted that their online presence influenced how they feel about and portray themselves. (İlköğretim Online)

This curation can highly influence young people, especially adolescents at a pivotal stage in their identity formation. A systematic review in 2024 emphasized that active social media use is related to higher identity exploration. At the same time, it was also observed that adolescents participating in social comparison on social media had higher identity distress.(SpringerLink)

Drawing Comparisons

Repeated exposure to other people's reels, which highlight a level of perfection, creates a climate where comparison is more likely. Studies have found that teenagers who constantly liken themselves to other people on social media are more likely to consider their online presence a core aspect of who they are. (ResearchGate)

This culture of comparison can give rise to unrealistic expectations and unwanted pressures. A study in 2024 found that 87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to pictures they view on social and conventional media. (Wikipedia)

A Sense of Belonging

Despite these challenges, social media also provides positive directions for identity exploration. It allows one to discover communities that share their values, interests, or experiences, particularly those isolated in their offline community. Marginalized groups, most notably, have found support, validation, and solidarity on the web through activism, common narratives, or cultural practices.

Such exposure to various points of view can broaden one's horizon and motivate the development of a more open and multidimensional identity. (Wikipedia)

Seeking Validation

Validation is one of the strongest elements of identity construction, and on social media, you can find it in real time. Positive feedback can increase self-confidence and solidify identity verdicts. Validation from external sources can be addictive, though, leading to a reliance on the outside world for endorsement. In a study at Northwest Missouri State University, there was a strong negative correlation between social media and self-esteem, with greater social media use linked with lower self-esteem.(TopScholar)

Additionally, the threat of judgment or cancellation may cause users to censor themselves or create comfortable or acceptable personas that don't necessarily represent genuine feelings or beliefs. This creates tension between authenticity and acceptance, making identity formation in the digital world more complex.

Digital Self-awareness

As social media continues to develop, so must our understanding of its influence on identity. Facilitating media literacy, supporting genuine connections, and creating spaces where authenticity is the norm can help alleviate some adverse effects.

In the end, social media is neither entirely beneficial nor completely negative to identity creation. We must realise that social media is ideally a tool. Whether it's useful or not, and to what extent, has everything to do with how you use it, why you use it, and whether or not you're self-aware and revisiting your digital life with ingenuity. We can lead ourselves and the future generations that follow us away from false identities presented online and towards identities grounded in actual self-knowing and acceptance.