| dc.description.abstract | Identity has been frequently conceptualized as a set of attributes a person
processes (Faith 2007:3). However, the cyber-world of Facebook has brought a new
focus of how people construct their identities online, demonstrating that identity is not
just a process or list of attributes, but rather a dramatic performance in which one's
identity never remains static - it is constantly undergoing construction (Ethier and Deaux
1994:243). According to Sociologist Erving Goffman, performance is "all the activity of
a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the
other participants" (Goffman 1959:15). With this in mind, the concept of identity in
Goffman's view is a performance that is deliberately engaged in,but not a constant
conscious perception (Faith2007:4). Because of its easy-to-use and fast-paced digital
features, Facebook has become an efficient tool in this form of identity exploration in
which users actively engage in the social discourse of instant validation (i.e.publishing
one's image in hopes of receiving instant and positive feedback). While instant validation
can occur both online and offline,it is important to explore whether Facebook has
changed the way people engage in that behavior.Furthermore, I will examine how instant
validation is played in Facebook, and determine how it is used in online identity
construction. | en |
