In this article  Zhao et al. (2008) take a more recent perspective for the exploration of identity in online communication; they joined the current interest in exploring identity  in social networks as Facebook where participants are not anonymous. Specifically, they sought to unveil “whether identity performance is influenced by the nonymity of the environment in which the performance takes place; and, if so, to investigate how it is affected by that” (p.1817).

 

These authors vindicate (Rosenberg, 1986; Altheide, 2000; Stone’s,1988) views of identity as emergent from the perception we hold of our inner self and from the impression that others have of what that inner self reveal. Identities are reinforced socially since others support or not the image we portrait of ourselves. Bearing the  previous definitions in mind, the idea of “now selves” and “possible selves”  (Markus and Nurius, 1986), are also central in this research. Most studies previously conducted in anonymous internet settings showed that disembodiment allows people to behave and be different from what they usually are offline. Thus, they build new identities eliminating characteristics that make them feel uncomfortable with themselves. The few studies focused on dating sites have revealed that the nonymous feature in this interaction leads participants to show an online identity somewhat similar the one they display offline.

 

Facebook was the online social network chosen for this study. In this site, users build their profiles including biographical information and their preferences in a variety of issues. Tools in the site allow some interaction among users, who might or might not know each other offline. Facebook objective is not limited to romantic encounters since people who join it can be searching only for friends or other type of relations. The kind of networking possibilities in this site encourages people to maintain or expand relations through their mutual acquaintance. This research derived from a wider sociological study. It involved 63 racially-diverse students from a university, who were members of the social network and it employed focus groups, interviews and Facebook accounts as data collection resources.

 

In reporting their results, the first feature researchers highlighted was users’ display of diverse portrays of themselves to Facebook audiences. This was an option for users by means of the visibility rules in the site. Most participants allowed others to view their profile information; they mainly sought to find friends or romance, thus they shared information to open contacts opportunities. Researchers explain participants’ identity construction as rooted in three modes. The first mode used visual resources. By means of pictures and photographs, participants appeared implicitly as social actors. This characterization did not require their involvement of speech. The second mode emerged from users’ favorite options in the consumption of products. It seemed they indirectly wanted to show an image of themselves based on hobbies and interests. Finally, some users provided straightforward accounts of who they were. Most of these introductions were superficial and sometimes they were written to produce curiosity among participants in the site.

 

The second set of findings centers in how nonymity, in contrast to anonymity, shapes users construction of their identity in this site. Whereas studies have shown that being anonymous lead people to create identities, which in some cases might even be the opposite of what they are offline, nonymity in the context of a social network as Facebook encourages users to construct an identity shaped by group tendencies. Thus, Facebook users adjusted they image they wanted to project, but without being overboard, since extreme incoherence, between their online and offline identities, could cause them complications in their socialization with group members they could know or aspire to meet. A significant number of participants was drawn by social popularity to construct their identities. They seemed to affiliate to what they culturally regarded as accepted and appealing: “being popular, well-rounded and thoughtful” (1828).  They might have not possessed some of those features and this context offered them the opportunity to display a more attractive image.

 

In contrast to the previous general patterns, a few users’ projects to shape their identities were not influenced by the social conventions in the site. As part of the social pressure which led users to show themselves in a particular manner, there was some evidence of social control. Several users wrote comments in others’ pages disapproving of others. The latter did not seem desirable. The topic of sexual preferences provided a strong support for the previous findings. Most of the participants employed the options on the page to claim their heterosexuality and several would write comments describing this facet. A very reduced number did not include in their profile any reference to their being heterosexual, but they did not venture to claim any other preference either. In interviews two participants said they were bisexual, nonetheless they did not reveal their tendency on Facebook.

 

Bearing in mind that students’ interaction in social network becomes a tremendous opportunity for their learning of foreign languages, it is relevant to study the effect this kind of communication can have in their process. As the study reveals, students might have the chance to take risks in ways they have not done it before. In our field that could directly means to feel more comfortable in relation to what we might think our limitations as speakers of a foreign language are. For instance, shy students or those who are not very self-confident can have a chance to adopt these attitudes. Especially if they have been stigmatized by peers or teachers, they can find a new option to overcome those constraining perceptions which originate from themselves or others. The language practice that students can get in these sites will greatly be valued in terms of the effect their only interactions have on their offline ones, in the real world. Thus, an important step in our field will be to establish if there is a transfer of those attitudes students might develop in these social networks to their offline interactions.

Reference:

 

Zhao, S., Grasmuck, S., Martin, J. (2008). Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships. Computers in Human Behavior,  24,  1816–1836.