The creation of an online identity is becoming increasingly important for individuals due to social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. With the growing popularity of these platforms, users are under constant pressure to present themselves in a way that is acceptable to their peers. This can often lead them to compromise their true identities and become inauthentic versions of themselves. In this article, I will discuss how likes, reactions, and algorithmic boosts contribute to this issue.
Likes and reactions are a common occurrence on social media platforms. These are small indicators that show others approve of what you post, but they also create a sense of obligation for you to continue posting similar content in order to receive more attention.
If someone posts a picture of themself and receives many likes, they may feel like they need to keep posting pictures of themselves in order to maintain that level of engagement. This can be detrimental to one's authentic self because it encourages them to prioritize what other people think over what they truly want to do or say.
Algorithmic boosts are another factor that can cause pressure to perform identity. Social media algorithms are designed to prioritize certain types of content, such as videos, images, and hashtags. As a result, users may feel pressured to follow trends and post content that will gain attention from the algorithm rather than expressing themselves authentically. This can lead to a lack of creativity and uniqueness in their posts, which makes it difficult for others to get to know the real person behind the screen.
Likes, reactions, and algorithmic boosts all contribute to creating pressure to perform identity that may compromise authenticity. Individuals should focus on being true to themselves and not worry about what others think in order to avoid these issues. By doing so, they can create genuine connections with others online without feeling pressured to conform to unrealistic standards.
How do likes, reactions, and algorithmic boosts create pressure to perform identity in ways that may compromise authenticity?
The popular social media platforms have gained significant traction in recent years due to their algorithmic nature of boosting content based on user activity. This has led to an increased focus on performance as users strive to gain more followers and likes by posting content that will appeal to the largest audience possible. The constant pressure to perform has created a situation where users are incentivized to alter their identities to fit what is popular or trendy rather than be true to themselves.