Most of us have a digital presence, whether it’s through a private Instagram account, a LinkedIn page or a public YouTube channel. The content that you post becomes a part of your digital footprint. This idea links to the concept of web 2.0, which is the new phase of the Internet, which “allows users to create information. Anybody can contribute content via blogging, photo-sharing, video-uploading, and more”. With Web 2.0 everyone now can construct their own identity in a digital world with a phone.
We also shape our identity through social media as we are influenced by the content we consume. For example, if you watch fashion/beauty influencers, especially those who do sponsorships, you may be influenced to buy those products as you’ve seen them on the influencer you follow. This often relies on a ‘friend’ relationship with their audience, making people feel connected to the influencer wanting to be more like them.
Influencers tend to contruct their digital identity in a way that sells an idea or lifestyle to their audiences. For example, lifestyle influencers will often present a version of themselves, when they ‘wake up’ with the camera on their face and stretch their arms up, then they’ll go onto have a productive day, often getting up early in the morning. This constructed identity is beneficial to them as people will follow them and consume their content, wanting to achieve this lifestyle themselves.
A digital identity is beneficial to non-influencers as well, many of you will have curated a digital identity that shows a better version of yourself, whether its consciously or subconsciously. People will often do this on LinkedIn. An example could be when you start a role and make a post talking about how excited you are for the opportunity; you likely will post a more positive caption than you may feel. You will also show the positive parts of your professional life, perhaps you’ll include your higher achievements, such as a degree or a certificate, but not your GCSE’s.
However, constructing an identity isn’t exclusive to social media, a common example is through celebrities. They’ll construct their identity through interviews, and some may call paparazzi to take pictures of them where they’re wearing a fancy dress and wearing extravagant makeup. Many celebrities will construct an identity around living a desired life, similar to influencers, this is to make people interested in following, dreaming of living their life.
Kata, A. (2012) ‘Anti-vaccine activists, Web 2.0, and the postmodern paradigm – An overview of tactics and tropes used online by the anti-vaccination movement’, Vaccine, 30(25), pp. 3778–3789. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.11.112.
Renner N (2019) The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/how-social-media-shapes-our-identity (Accessed 2nd November 2025)
Reading this blog honestly reminded me how easy it is to get caught up in creating a “better” version of ourselves online. With influencers posting perfect morning routines and aesthetic lives, it’s hard not to feel like we should do the same. But the problem is that most of these moments are staged, and we still compare them to our real, messy lives. It makes me wonder if our digital identity is something we choose, or something we feel pressured into performing.