Research questions

 

Thesis - To what extent does social media shape or distort teenagers' identities? 

1. Do you feel like your social media reflects your real personality, or a different version of yourself? Why?

2. Have you ever changed how you act, look, or post online to fit in or get more attention?

3. Do you think social media has influenced how you see yourself or your identity? If so, how?

 I interviewed two actors, as well as my best friend, who is not an actor, and asked these questions, and it was really fascinating to see both the similarities and differences in their responses. All three of the people I interviewed said that their social media does not reflect their real personality. Instead, they feel like they present a curated version of themselves that appeals to a wider audience.

 I think this is largely due to human nature and the desire to be liked, which is completely valid, and I also personally agree with their statements.

They also mentioned that they change how they act, look, and post online in order to be perceived as a certain type of person. This is where the differences between actors and non-actors come into play—specifically, the added pressure that comes with having part of your career tied to how you present yourself online. 

  My best friend Kendra, who is a speech pathology major with a Spanish minor, experiences a different level of pressure when posting on social media. She doesn’t have to worry as much about a boss or director seeing her posts, or about marketing herself in a specific way online.

   Even though there are differences in our experiences, we all share a common feeling of pressure to present ourselves in a certain way on social media. This pressure has influenced all of us, especially because we began using social media at a young age, around 12 or 13, when our identities were still developing.

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