Unit 2 Portfolio

"I'm Always On": Social Media, Acting Career in 2026, and the Pressure to Be Perfect On Social Media

Social Media and Identity

  In today’s digital world, social media plays a major role in how teenagers present themselves and understand who they are. Apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat allow people to carefully control what others see, creating a space where identity can be shaped, edited, and distorted. Social media shapes and distorts teenagers’ identities by pushing us to present highly curated versions of ourselves. This especially affects young performers who feel extra pressure to maintain an image online. While social media can offer opportunities for self-expression, it pressures teens to present idealized versions of themselves. As a result, social media significantly distorts teenagers’ identities by encouraging them to create curated, performative versions of themselves that differ from their real-life personalities.

  I have personally experienced this. I got Instagram when I was in 6th grade, and ever since then, I’ve definitely felt like I needed to create a certain “Perfect” “Cool”  version of myself online. My friends and I would literally hang out just to take Instagram pictures, which is honestly funny to look back on now, but at the time, it felt so important. Looking back, it’s kind of crazy how much pressure we were putting on ourselves at such a young age.

And it’s only gotten worse. I see kids on TikTok now who are like 10 years old doing full makeup and skincare routines, and it’s honestly kind of scary. I’m not even sure where we go from here, but I do think one important step is recognizing how curated everything online really is. Most of what we see isn’t real. It’s carefully filtered and edited. If we can remind ourselves of that, it becomes a little easier not to compare ourselves to something that was never real in the first place.

Comparison

  One of the main ways social media affects identity is through comparison. Teenagers are constantly exposed to carefully selected highlights of other people’s lives, which can lead them to question their own self-worth and identity. Research supports this idea. A study on adolescent social media use found that frequent comparisons are associated with lower self-concept clarity and increased identity distress, suggesting that teens become less sure of who they are when they constantly measure themselves against others.

 Instead of developing a stable sense of self, teens begin to base their identity on how they measure up to others online. This creates a cycle in which identity becomes dependent on external validation rather than on internal understanding. When likes, views, and comments start to define how someone feels about themselves, it becomes harder to separate who you actually are from how you’re perceived online.

  This also explains why trends and aesthetics have such a strong influence on teenagers. One week, everyone wants to look or act a certain way, and the next week it changes. That constant shifting makes it harder for people to develop a consistent sense of identity, because they are always adjusting themselves to match what is currently popular.

In addition to comparison, social media encourages users to curate specific versions of themselves. Rather than showing their full, authentic personality, many teens choose what to post based on what will be most liked or accepted.

In a small set of interviews I conducted, all three participants said their social media does not reflect their true personalities. Instead, they described presenting a version of themselves that would appeal to a wider audience.

Career in Acting and Online Pressure

    My primary research revealed important differences between actors and non-actors. I interviewed two actors and one non-actor, and while all of them felt pressure to present themselves in a certain way online, the actors described an additional level of pressure because of their chosen career.

    For actors, social media becomes a form of self-marketing. The way you present yourself online can actually affect opportunities, adding another layer of pressure. My friend Kendra, who is not in the entertainment industry, said she doesn’t feel that same level of pressure tied to her future career. Nevertheless, she does feel a lot of pressure to make friends through social media now, especially because people seem to have a harder time communicating in person. She goes to the University of Minnesota, and she explained that in her regular classes, people don’t really talk to each other much. Because of that, a lot of initial connections happen online instead.

  She actually met her roommates through Instagram, and I remember we were looking at their profiles before she even met them in person, just to get a sense of who they were. We were kind of trying to figure out their “weirdness level” based on what their Instagram looked like. Obviously, we took it with a grain of salt; we’re not crazy. But at the same time, there’s definitely some unconscious bias there.

Even if we don’t realize it, we start forming opinions right away based on what we see. Whether someone’s Instagram is aesthetic, messy, curated, or completely random can totally shape how we perceive them before we even meet them. It’s weird because we act like we’re just “getting a vibe,” but in reality, we’re judging a person based on a very controlled version of their life.

    In the context of being an actor, this aligns with what industry professionals are already saying. Many casting professionals now look at an actor’s online presence as part of their evaluation when auditioning people, meaning that identity online becomes part of your professional image. That makes it even harder for actors to separate their real identity from the one they present publicly.

    I’ve seen this personally,  too. Ever since high school, I’ve seen people posting singing videos and performance clips, and I definitely compared myself to them. They always sounded amazing. They are hitting insane notes and doing crazy riffs, and I didn’t realize at the time how much editing or production might have gone into those videos.

    Over time, I’ve learned that as a performer, you sometimes have to step back when comparisons start to get unhealthy. I honestly don’t think humans were meant to be exposed to this many people all the time, generally speaking, or to constantly curate and present our lives in this way. It can make you lose touch with what actually matters: real friendships, time with family, and doing things just for yourself, not for how they’ll look online.

The Positive Side of Social Media

      At the same time, social media isn’t all bad. Some people argue that it can actually help with identity by giving teens a space to express themselves and connect with others. And honestly, I agree with that to some extent.

      In my own experience, I wouldn’t say I regret having social media. I’ve met a lot of people through it, especially when I came to college. It can be a great way to stay connected and share parts of your life. I’ve posted singing videos, acting clips, and pictures from shows I’ve been in, and those posts come from a genuine desire to share what I love.

      Social media can also create communities where people feel seen and understood. For some teens, especially those who might feel isolated in real life, online spaces can provide a sense of belonging.

      However, even these positive aspects exist within a system that rewards attention, appearance, and validation. This means that even when people are being authentic, they are still operating within a platform that encourages performance. Because of this, the benefits of social media do not completely outweigh the pressure it creates.

Conclusion

      Ultimately, social media does not just reflect who teenagers are; it actively shapes and sometimes distorts their identities. The pressure to be liked, accepted, and visible online can push teens to present curated versions of themselves, creating a gap between their online and real-life identities.

      We can’t change how big social media is or how much it’s a part of everyday life, but we can change how we engage with it. If we start using social media as a way to genuinely connect and share, rather than to prove something or compete with others, it can actually be a positive space.

      I’m not exactly sure where things go from here, but it does feel like things are shifting. Platforms come and go, trends change, and people get bored quickly. My hope is that whatever comes next isn’t as focused on perfection and flawless performance, and that we move toward something that values authenticity more. At the end of the day, social media should be about sharing life, not trying to prove something to everyone watching.

Cited Sources

Nesi, J., Choukas-Bradley, S., & Prinstein, M. J. (2018). Transformation of adolescent peer relations in the social media context: Part 1—A theoretical framework. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 21(3), 267–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-018-0261-x

Marengo, D., Longobardi, C., Fabris, M. A., & Settanni, M. (2018). Highly-visual social media and internalizing symptoms in adolescence: The mediating role of body image concerns. Computers in Human Behavior, 82, 63–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.01.003

Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Teens and social media use: What’s the impact? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437

“Why social media matters for actors.” (n.d.). Backstage. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/social-media-actors-career-75662/