If I were asked to define beauty, I would say that it is impossible to do, since beauty is different in

the eyes of each individual. Although this is true, beauty for women and men does have what I
will call parameters that people are encouraged, if not expected, to follow if they want to fit in
with how society and culture defines beauty. The feminine beauty ideal is a socially constructed
opinion that one of a woman’s most important assets is attractiveness and is something all women
should strive to achieve and maintain. In other words, women should try to obtain these ideals in
order to be considered beautiful by society’s standards.

More and more people encounter online media on a daily basis. The Internet is commonly used
for social networking (i.e. online activities that create and maintain interpersonal relationships with
family, friends, and acquaintances). Social media are particularly popular among female young
adults, a group in which body dissatisfaction is common [15]. Facebook, the most popular social
media platform in the world, boasts over one billion daily users, with three‐quarters of online
American adults logging on [16]. Instagram, a popular photo‐sharing application, has 600 million
users, half of whom use it daily, with 35% using it several times a day [16]. The majority of online
18–29 year olds use Facebook and more than half of these individuals use Instagram [16]. These
social media platforms and others—such as YouTube, Snapchat, and Pinterest—have a visual
element and involve users posting photos of themselves for others to see and on which to comment.
Contemporary media platforms are changing how people internalize beauty ideals, how they try
to control how other people see them and how they get feedback from others about how they look.

Most households worldwide have home Internet access, and, in some countries, children,
adolescents, and young adults identify social media sites as their primary online communication
activity [17]. Given that both social media use and body dissatisfaction are pervasive among
adolescent and young adult women, it is not surprising that media and body image research is
expanding into this new media domain. The tripartite model of influence proposes that peers,
parents, and media are the main sources of the development of body image and eating disturbances.
Furthermore, research shows that appearance comparison at least partially mediates the
relationships between these sociocultural factors and eating and weight‐related behaviors [18].
Each of these three sociocultural factors converges on social media.
Until the past 5 years, research on Internet exposure, perceptions of beauty, and body image
concerns was virtually non‐existent. In line with research on traditional forms of mass media and
body image, recent correlational studies reveal that social media use is linked to body image
concerns and self‐objectification both among men and women [19–28]. Also, much like the
relationship between the traditional media and body image ideals, the link between social media
use and body image is not straightforward; it appears to be affected by various psychological
factors, such as individual differences in the tendency to compare one’s appearance to others’.
When people compare themselves to others they consider to be superior to themselves and it is
known as upward social comparison. Downward social comparison is when people compare
themselves to others, they consider to be inferior on some dimension. Exactly which individual
and situational factors determine social comparison processes on social media remain to be
empirically tested. But because social comparison moderates the effects of traditional media on
viewers, as reviewed above, it is likely that these psychological processes also play a role in the
effects of social media on users.

Unlike traditional forms of media like television, movies, and magazines, social media sites are
designed to actively engage the user. Since there are many ways for users to engage with online
media, such as scrolling through newsfeeds and profiles, commenting on other users’ posts, seeing
who else has liked/commented/endorsed posts, or creating and uploading their own content, it is
difficult to tease apart exactly how online media are related to perceptions of beauty. Researchers
have started to use various research methods to study the link between online media exposure and
appearance concerns (e.g. qualitative data, correlational studies, and experimental simulated social
media use) that may or may not be analogous to how people use social media in the real world.
For instance, researchers have begun to bring social media into the laboratory for study. When
women passively view mock social media profiles versus models in magazines, there appears to
be no difference between the media types in terms of subsequent increases in appearance
comparison and body image dissatisfaction [19]. Although some researchers find that adolescent
girls’ time spent on the Internet is positively correlated with internalization of the thin ideal, body
surveillance, and drive for thinness, experimental studies suggest that mere exposure to one’s own
social media account does not negatively or immediately impact young women’s appearance
concerns [21, 26, 27].

One of the unique aspects of social media, versus traditional media, is that they are made up of
communication with peers and/or public figures. It is the elements of interactivity and
connectedness that make social media distinct from other media forms and rife with opportunities
for users to perceive, compare, and internalize standards of beauty. Traditional media literacy
efforts may have helped people think critically about how photos of models and celebrities are
frequently edited by advertisers and editors, and how they display completely unrealistic standards
of beauty. However, social media platforms expose users to photos of real‐world peers, which may
dissuade people from critically analyzing the images they see on social media. In truth, users can
present their ideal selves through editing, enhancing, and embellishing their online images and
appearance [28]. More research is needed to determine whether social media users engage in
selective presentation of their own appearance, but overlook the notion that other users have done
the same.

People can engage in a variety of behaviors related to perceptions of beauty in online forms of
media. Examples include taking multiple selfies and choosing to post only the flattering photos,
using camera filters to enhance the appearance of a person’s face, and photo‐shopping body parts
to make them appear thinner. Research is just starting to examine the relations between these types
of self‐presentation strategies on social media and well‐being (body image and appearance self‐
esteem) among women. A study of online dating website users found that individuals commonly
managed their online profile by posting selfies of which they felt especially proud [29]. It is not
yet known whether self‐presentation strategies like photo enhancement actually improve body
image and appearance self‐esteem (by allowing users to present an idealized version of themselves
to others) or whether they worsen appearance concerns because they perpetuate an evaluation of
and focus on physical appearance.
It seems that people who post photos of themselves on social media probably do so when they feel
good about their appearance. Indeed, research suggests that the use of social media predicts
subsequent body dissatisfaction and not the other way round [30]. It could be, however, that social
media users post photos of themselves when they feel especially good about their appearance, but
that they end up feeling worse about their appearance in the longer term after frequent use of social
media. The longer term adverse effects of social media use could be due to looking at images of
idealized, and often retouched, photos of other people, as well as reading online commentary about
people’s appearance. Replication and clarification of the causal effects of social media usage on
body image and appearance self‐esteem is an important goal for future research in this field.

Popular social media platforms have begun to acknowledge the risks inherent in exposure to
certain types of photos. At this time, Instagram has banned hashtags such as ‘thinspiration’ and
‘proanorexia’ because Instagram views them as actively promoting self‐harm. These are terms that
would be familiar to many social media users (particularly young women) and alert viewers to
photos that are meant to glorify very thin bodies. Before content associated with eating disorders
is shown, a graphic‐images warning and link to the National Eating Disorders website is displayed.
Other appearance‐related hashtags, such as ‘sopretty’, ‘attractive’, ‘bikinibody’, and
‘everybodyisbeautiful’ are, at present, no longer searchable on the photo‐sharing application [31].
Although it is not clear what the impetus was for Instagram to enact these guidelines, advocacy
groups generally applaud these types of content moderation efforts aimed at the prevention of
disordered eating and body image disturbances.

In summary, research that addresses the question of whether posting, modifying, and viewing
photos on social media hurts or helps women’s body image and appearance self‐esteem is currently
underway. The available evidence and theory point to exposure to thin, idealized photos online,
and taking and retouching selfies—which may masquerade as promoting body positivity and
esteem—as particularly risky behaviors in terms of body image and self‐esteem.
In social media, people “operate” their personal home page, photo albums, status and logs through
text, images, audios, videos and other means, in which people interact with each other, this forms
a new social interaction. Such text oriented and symbolic ways are becoming the most important
ways of self presentation in social media.

Social media has the harmony of virtual social interactions and real social interactions. In the
WEB1.0 era, since the network communications exist in all kinds of information relationship
structure only in digital form, and do not depend on the physical reality such as specific time and
space which are depended on by the real communications, from the Internet chat rooms to instant
messaging and a variety of social networking forums or social virtual community, people tend to
distinguish themselves from the real social life and virtual networks. And Web2.0 is a network
relationship established based on people’s offline relationship, in addition, SNS technology
innovation makes the real life more and more mapped to the network society. On such a basis, due
to the personality of the cross situational consistency and stability, people are more and more aware
that the virtual platform of social media is just a tool brought by a technology, not the purpose,
and the performance of people in the network is more and more consistent with that in the reality.
Kaplan & Haenlein (2010) break down social media into six categories based on the level of self-
presentation (Pic1). People will transfer the social interaction in the real life and then extend to the
network society, what people show and present in the network society and the mutual
communications and interactions are real. Therefore, since people gradually adapt to the
characteristics of the network society, it is inevitable to integrate the virtual and real, and to return
to the unity and integration of the self.

Self-presentation strategies in social media

In order to achieve credibility and advantage, people adopt different strategies to carry out certain
impression management. Overall, there are three kinds of self-presentation strategies: positive
impression presentation, revision impression control, and vague impression formation of fuzzy
control (Fiske, 1991). Proactive strategy refers that people value other people’s perception of self
image in social media, and are willing to show the positive side, willing to upload photos to show
personal image. Fuzzy generalization strategy refers that in order to avoid others to produce
stereotyped images on oneself in social media, individuals tend to express their inner thoughts and
feelings vaguely. Passive strategy refers to control the negative emotions and negative attitudes in
social media.

The study on 425 undergraduates from many Utah State Universities by Chou Hui-Tzu & Nicholas
Edge (2012) shows that those who spend more time on Facebook are more likely to think that
Facebook’s “friends” live a better life”; this indicates from the side view that people present a
better side on the Facebook. In other words, people choose to present themselves in social media:
They present more positive emotions rather than negative emotions in social media (pic 2), and
compared to the self-presentation in reality, people are more willing to show a better side in social
media (Lin Qiu, 2012).

Network media plays an important role in the psychological development and the self identity of
teenagers, especially the rise of social networking sites, which makes teenagers’ preferences,
intimate relationship and ideology collected and display simultaneously. Different from the public
forums constructed with interest, hobby or a certain theme, social network is a user-centered virtual
community. Social media allow teenagers to create a personal homepage, to form an identity in
the social media, and a variety of backgrounds, graphics, music, videos and so on have become
general and direct communication means for teenagers.

Based on the principle of self-presentation, in the social media campaign of this semester, I
designed an exclusive logo associated with the theme of the “movie” for the service principle as
the image (pic 3), also the author uses “movie”, “art”, “literature”, “drama” as labels in the social
media homepage, thus to find the opinion leaders and potential users through the same label.

In general, “to met acquaintances through acquaintances” is an important attribute of social media,
specifically reflected in the publicity, interpersonality and authenticity. Such characteristics
integrate the virtual society in the network and the real communications in reality together, unlike
previous non personality of network social communications and non-connection with real
communications, it also gives a possibility for social media as front desks. In this context, self-
presentation in social media is possible, and also closely linked to the real social communications.

__________________

Like it or not we all have a digital self, a mask that we put on to engage the technological world.
Physician and Psychoanalyst, Donald Winnicot, proposed a theory of self that posited there was a
"true self" that is the instinctive core of our personality and must be nurtured and realized. Then
there is the "false self" that is created to protect the "true self" from insult and danger. We all have
a "true self" that is complex and fragile, but ultimately, is our essence. In an attempt to share that
self with the world, we engage our decoy selves to manage the day-to-day anxieties and challenges
that come before us.

This blog engages thought and discussion about our digital self. Working in the mental health field
for the last two decades we have seen countless individuals explore and navigate the many aspects
of their self-identities. In this technological age, the digital self has become a frequent visitor on
the couch. We have treated patients who have become divorced over Facebook affairs, couples
that have wound up happily married who met through Match.com, adolescents who became
suicidal due to cyber-bullying, single moms now with the flexibility to work at home, and the
embarrasing consequenses of drexting (aka drunk texting).

Let's be honest here, who hasn't struggled with their digital self-identity? All of this technology
has come at us so fast and furiously that we haven't had the time to think about how our relationship
with it shapes our very identity. If we can begin to understand this slice of who we are then we can
shape our digital self into a self that is more closely aligned with our true self that which has a
sense of integrity, of connected wholeness that Winnicot would have said harks back to the early
stage of development. If we are unable to take control in defining our digital self then we become
increasingly more dependent on this digital reality.

As I sit in a San Francisco café writing this blog, there is a mother and her preschool age boy
sitting next to me. He has made a-sort-rocket out of his juice box. He says excitedly, "Look what
I did with my juice box" not one, two or three...but six times (each louder then the first). The
mother is texting. She looks up at him on his sixth attempt of connecting with her and she says,
"Um, yes, we will leave in 5 minutes." He crushes his rocket. In psychological terms this lack of
interaction is referred to as an empathic failure and will possibly have consequences. Children
remain developmentally concrete for many years and cannot comprehend who their parent is
communicating with or why. They just experience the disconnect and the fact that something they
don't understand is coming in between their relationship with their parent.

How could this seemingly attentive and undoubtedly loving mother create better technologic
boundaries to protect her relationship with her child? How could she better define her digital self
in a way that is more congruent with her true self? How did this mother end up inadvertantly
prioritizing her relationship with technology (texting) over her son at that moment in time?
In such a short span of time, how is it that we have learned that when our phone buzzes with a
message we MUST respond? In this blog we are not suggesting that you should throw your phones
and computers into the ocean, but rather to explore ways to develop a deeper level of understanding
as to how your relationship with technology is impacting your primary relationships and how it is,
as a result, defining you.

Identity is described as a sense of self, as being a consistent and unique person. (Fernald, 1997)
Defining individual identity involves being aware of and understanding an individual’s
experiences, perceptions, feelings, sensations, images and memories. One’s understanding and
explanation of them, the choices and decisions a person makes, and the action they take in
responding to changing conditions, needs, demands and challenges is another important aspect of
identity. Beyond their mental and physical constitution, human beings consist of personal
experiences, perceptions, feelings, images and memories (Dorscht, 1998). As digital technology is
a vast area to cover, I will primarily focus on the internet and people’s ability to connect with
others.

Paul Magnarella, of the University of Florida proposes that, as societies become more complex
and differentiated, due to technological developments, more specialists are needed, and social
integration is becoming based on the interdependence of specialized functions (Magnarella, 1997).
Modern humanity is adjusting to life within the global community. This has far reaching impact
in how personal, social and cultural identities are formed and maintained. As the technology of the
twenty-first century speeds up and expands access to information and virtual environments,
constraints upon individuals to exclusively rely upon, and respond to their local physical
environment is diminished (Jones, 1997).
The availability of information and technology has affected the development of individual and
group identity. It is only very recently in the time line of human evolution, that individuals and
members of society have been exposed to cultures, attitudes and ways of thinking that are not
insulated. There has been a great deal of attention paid to the development of self in this
technological society. The volume and variety of relationships now available to the average person,
through the Internet, at an interpersonal level, enables the individual an opportunity to construct a
new self or identity for every occasion, with very little is expected in return (Eyck, 1998).

Sociology is the study of human behaviour in groups, and focuses on the influences of social
relationships on attitudes and behaviour. In the Sociological Research Online Journal, Schroeder
examines the social aspects of multi-user virtual reality. He states that there is stratification in
cyber-space communities, with “insiders” and “outsiders” with different behaviours, roles, and
statuses. Schroeder regards the possibilities for extending new opportunities and experiences in
both the natural and social worlds as sociologically relevant (Schroeder, 1997). The way in which
individuals perceive themselves and their place in the world, is fundamental to the topic of identity.
Researchers have described control as an individual’s “belief” that they could cause good or bad
events. (Shapiro et al.) The schema theory is described as facts or experiences that are clustered
around topics, which provide a frame of reference for individuals to draw upon when making
judgments (Wresch, 1996). When an individual combines this schema with the way they
selectively value the limited information allowed into their consciousness, it further defines one’s
sense of identity. One point proposed is, that by role-playing or testing scenarios in cyber-space,
some people are better prepared to function in similar real life situations.

Some special moments do happen when have our camera handy, and we're lucky to capture
them. On the whole though, those perfected images are posed and curated to portray the life
we want people to believe that we have.
The Ultimate Selfie

What It Looks Like I'm Doing...

I just got back from vacation and thought I'd share my new, totally natural glow with all of
you. This lipstick? Also new. I AM SO HAPPY BECAUSE MY LIFE IS TOTALLY AND
COMPLETELY PERFECT. I took this photo one time. One time. This is how I look all the
time. All. The. Time.

What I'm Actually Doing/Thinking...

Do you want to know how many pictures I shot before I actually captured a photo that both
accurately (and attractively) displayed how happy I was in this moment? 56. I hope you're
judging me, because I am. Also, the entire epidermis of my forehead is peeling off in this
photo because I didn't use sunscreen one day by the pool. Ah, cropping.