Summary of How Social Media Shapes Identity | Ulrike Schultze | TEDxSMU

Main Ideas and Concepts

Impact of Social Media on Identity: The speaker, Ulrike Schultze, explores how social media and technology shape our identities, influencing how we present ourselves and how we are perceived by others.
Algorithms and Perception: Social media platforms like Facebook use algorithms that determine which posts are seen, affecting users' perceptions of their social standing based on engagement (likes and comments).
Anonymity and Self-Expression: The experience of using a fake identity in online communities can lead to more open and bold self-expressions, highlighting the dual nature of identity in digital spaces.
Co-constitutive Relationship: There is a reciprocal relationship between technology and users—while we create technology, it also shapes who we become and how we interact.
Emergence of Discourses: The speaker identifies three dominant discourses in virtual worlds like Second Life:
- Commodification Discourse: Users see themselves as producers or consumers, shaping identities based on market dynamics.
- Play Discourse: Encourages exploration of identity beyond real-life constraints, allowing users to express different facets of themselves.
- Sociality Discourse: Identity is defined through social roles and connections, emphasizing real emotional connections.
Contradictions and Complex Identities: The interplay between these discourses can create tensions and contradictions in identity, as users navigate different expectations and roles.
Limitations and Freedom: While social media imposes certain limitations on the identities users can perform, there is also significant freedom in how individuals choose to navigate and express their identities.

Methodology and Key Findings

Research Context: The research is based on data collected from Second Life, a virtual world that allows for diverse expressions of identity through avatars and various communicative media.
Discourses Identified:
- Commodification Discourse:
  - Users construct identities as producers or consumers.
  - Emphasis on branding and differentiation.
- Play Discourse:
  - Encourages exploration of identity beyond real-life constraints.
  - Users can adopt various personas (e.g., avatars like Nico).
- Sociality Discourse:
  - Identity defined by social roles and obligations.
  - Emphasis on real emotional connections and interactions.

Conclusion and Takeaway

Ulrike Schultze encourages viewers to reflect on the identities they perform on social media and how technology both enables and restricts these identities. Understanding the underlying discourses can help users navigate their social media experiences more consciously.

Speakers

Ulrike Schultze (Main speaker)

Notable Quotes

— 01:40 — « What is social media and what is technology in particular doing to who we are to who we believe we can be? »

— 02:20 — « We construct the technology but the technology also constructs us; we become what the technology allows us to become. »

— 05:38 — « Discourses essentially create a certain kind of reality with certain identities and possibilities for action. »

— 11:28 — « Social media limit the kinds of identities we can have through the discourses. »

— 13:55 — « Think about these discourses and what kinds of identities you are performing and the technology is enabling and restricting you from performing. »