Identity, which is formed by people’s subjective experiences and cultural background, shows a desire position that people want in society. As people change from consumer to creator on social media, everyone can participate in the constructions of the social mainstream. However, is new media reflect the real situation of race, gender, class or just show people’s ideal situation. This made me think about an occupation: artist. Identity is an important factor that can decide their famous degree. Nowadays, most artists have a management team that helps them to display an identity online to attract more fans. Their blog, interview, and outfits are all arranged by their teams. How their identity show in front of people depends on the data of what most people like and need today. According to the data, they can use the key information to resonate with more people. At this time, nobody cares who they are, people just know what they do online. Therefore, is the identity shows online actually is a reflection of people’s ideal image in “Utopia” produced by data?

Identity is the subjective view of ourselves and the ways in which we fit into the world. This is detailed by physical, psychological, and interpersonal attributes that allow us to define a sense of community or belonging. One concept about identity that I found really interesting was the debate over structure and agency and begs the question, do we truly have control over the choices we make? It is clear that media displays cultural norms and the desired life. Many subscribe to this idea by presenting their electronic and public selves as very different from their internal identity. This performative action in following the defined structure may inherently limit our ability to make decisions that best serve ourselves, therefore, inhibiting agency. This idea is amplified by 21st century’s hyperfixation on social media, but is not new. For example, I think to federal restriction in national television in the 1950s, where characters who were openly gay were prohibited from the screen. Thus, many who were gay at the time never saw representation in media and were significantly more likely to hide their sexuality as it did not conform with the norm. Media tends to reflect the widely “acceptable” or desired self. 

Something unique about identity is how it can be shaped by both culture and media. People identify themselves by the music they listen to, movies they enjoy, favorite TV shows, etc. Essentially, the media we consume becomes part of our collective, generational “identity”. While different cultural groups can be united around aspects of their culture, like food and shared experiences, people are more generally united by generational groups. Being the same age makes it more likely that individuals consumed similar media, uniting them more closely with each other than members of other generations. More recently, identity is being shaped through social media. Constantly seeing what members of one’s peer group are doing, watching, or listening to can pique interest in these varying types of media, which may in turn become part of one’s identity. As Judith Butler states, “Identity is more about what you do rather than about what you are.” This has been greatly emphasized by social media, where what you post dictates the exterior perception of your identity. This keyword seems to argue that identity is solely a projection of an image, because the reality is less concrete. Since social media gives us the opportunity to curate our identities and how we’re perceived, I wonder if this falsification will have negative consequences in the long term.

Identity reflects our association with religion, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, culture and so much more. Media alone has drastically influenced the makeup of our identity through its constant influence on cultural norms which have globally extended due to the increased efficiency of media infrastructure. Yet, our identities are elusive as they are constantly subject to cultural shifts. I have encountered the media’s influence on identity is through social media’s top representers, also known as ”influencers”. Across platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, a collective group of individuals with high followings are shaping trends in fashion, music, personal media, and more. These influencers post the “ideal life” and set the tone for what is culturally appropriate and in style at that moment. It’s a dangerous system, as their platforms do not reflect reality but rather the life they want us to see and want for ourselves. Those of younger generations are highly influenced by these constant shifts in trends and these shifts are increasing at a higher rate. I personally feel that as society incorporates the media, especially social media, into our everyday lives (ie. advertising, streams, and importance) ice ties will be even more fragile than ever.