WhoisyourSocialMediaSelf?
College Student
Motivation and
Vulnerability Online
w/ Dr. @PaulGordonBrown

@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com

GainLossvs

89%
of adults 18-29 years old use social media
67%
access it on mobile
98%
of adults ages 18-29 are on the internet
70
70
70
43%
60%
89%
65+
50-64
30-49
70
78% 18-29
social media use
by age
younger generations
are using the internet,
social media, and mobile
technologies at a high rate

ISTE STANDARDS
FOR STUDENTS
2016

2016 ISTE Standards for Students

eRezLife

“Themajor
achievementof
normaldevelopment
wasafirmandfixed
‘senseofidentity’”
-Gergen
Traditionaltheoriesheldthat…

Wenolongerexist
asplaywrightsor
actorsbutas
terminalsof
multiplenetworks.
-Baudrillard

“Theattemptinthis
caseistoconstruct
anontologythat
replacesthevisionof
theboundedselfas
theatomofthe
socialworld.”
-Gergen

Question
Research
How do college students conceptualize who they
are and how they present themselves when they
are engaged in digital and social media?
@paulgordonbrown

Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation
(Rogers, 2003)
sample
16 student
College students 18-24 years old
‣ Completing/completed coursework in social media (half)
‣ Identified by college staff has heavy/sophisticated users (half)
Student Profile
‣ From a highly selective research university on a residential
campus near a major metropolitan area in the Northeast
Qualitative Study
Grounded Theory Method

Pre-interview Questionnaire
‣ Establish usage patterns of participant
Semistructured Interview (First Session, 1 hour)
‣ Probe how students understand self
‣ Examine how sense is made of online/offline life
Synchronous Ethnographic Tour * (Second Session, 1 hour)
‣ Observe how students interact online
‣ How is identity constructed/understood
Semistructured Interview (First Session, 1 hour)
‣ Probe how students understand self
‣ Examine how sense is made of online/offline life
data
collection
*
(Martínez Alemán & Lynk Wartman, 2009, p. 23)

1 2Digital Identity
or Reputation
Digitized
Development
@paulgordonbrown

Digital Identity
@paulgordonbrown@paulgordonbrown

Digital Identity
@paulgordonbrown
Or more accurately, digital identities,
are the personas, data, and actions
we take online as well as the
reputation of those identities and
how they are viewed by others.
@paulgordonbrown

@paulgordonbrown

digital stamp
@paulgordonbrown

FROM THE WOMB!
We even have digital stamps
@paulgordonbrown

Your Name
@paulgordonbrown

Your Name
What is the first thing that comes up?
Is it you?
Is it someone else?
What do you want to come up?

BE
AWARE!
@paulgordonbrown

We need to educate each other
on digital reputation.

Digital Identity
@paulgordonbrown@paulgordonbrown

DigitalIdentity/
Reputation vs
Digitized
Development
What We Produce vs What We Are
What Other People See vs How We See Ourselves
Can Be Taught
Through Rules
vs
Must Be Learned
Dynamically
A By-Product Of
Development
vs
The Developmental
Process Itself

Digital Identities
Digitized DevelopmentOne’s level of sophistication in
navigating digitized development
impacts how one chooses to present
one’s digital identities and how one
understands these digital identities in
relation to their sense of self.
One’s digital identities and the exploration
of and action through these identities
influences one’s level of sophistication in
navigating digitized development (and
potentially how one conceptualizes one’s
selfhood as digitized).
Digital identities are the different representations and
personas students take on through different social media
platforms and in presentation to different audiences.
Digitized development is what occurs when developmental
processes, behaviors, and life experiences play out differently
as a result of the influence of social and digital technology,
their affordances, and the virtual spaces these technologies
create.
ReciprocalRelationship

Digitized Development
@paulgordonbrown@paulgordonbrown

Digitized Development
@paulgordonbrown
is the underlying developmental
processes that inform how we
understand ourselves and our
behavior in digital spaces.
Digitized development can carry
unique properties from offline
development.
@paulgordonbrown

MarciaBaxterMagolda’s
TheoryofSelf-Authorship

Student explores and experiments
openly with social media. This is
strongly influenced by authorities
(parents/guardians) through access
and peers through peer culture.
Student does not understand how
online and offline interactions can
impact each other or possess a
sophisticated understanding of
context.
Student makes conscious choices about
social media usage and how it fits into life
desires, outlook, and goals.
Student realizes that one’s online life
requires constant renegotiation as one’s
goals, needs, contexts, and
circumstances change.
@paulgordonbrown

Pursuitof
Likes
@paulgordonbrown

“HowmanyLikesdid
yourpostget?”
“Whatdoesthatmean?”
Addie

“Thatnumberinitself
doesn’tmeananything
unlessyoucompareitto
otherposts.”
-Addie
@paulgordonbrown

“Thenyougetinthatwhole
thingwherepeoplestart
comparingthemselvesto
otherpeople.Thatreallyisn’t
thebestroutetogodown.”
Addie
“You’rethinkingaboutit
toomuch.”

IMAGE: CHOMPOO BARITONE
Curating
Perfected
Images

“…inthebackofmy
mindthere’sacertain
standardofinteraction
thatIgetoneverysingle
tweetthatIwantto
makesureIdon’tdrop
below.”
-Mesut

IMAGE: CHOMPOO BARITONE
Selective
Viewof
Reality

“…weusesocialmediaasa
highlightreelofourlivesand
howmanytimesoutoften
wouldyousaythatyou
wouldn'tpostsomething
becauseit'snotahighlight.”
-Hallie
@paulgordonbrown

There'salotoftimeswhenyouthinkthat
peoplehavethebestlifeeverbecauseof
whatthey'reposting. Wheninreality
they'regoingthroughalot,andprobably
manysimilarthingsthatyouare,but
becausethey'repostingallthisfunstuff,
youthinkthattheirlivesareperfect.”
-Hallie

masks
adance
outfits

“…it’salmostlikedoinga
dancethatyoucan’tbe
toomuchofsomething.”
-Liam
@paulgordonbrown

games
playing

“I'vegottokeepup.”
-Annie
@paulgordonbrown

“Yeahit’sexhausting…
it’swhatcausesmy
unhappiness…
thecomparisonsget
sointense…
IfeellikeI’mjusta
constantfailure”
-Logan

IMAGE: CHOMPOO BARITONE
Consuming
Perfected
Images

“That’swhat,Iassume,[is]
causingmygreatest
dissatisfactionat[college].
Seeingmylifeincomparison
toothers.”
-Logan
@paulgordonbrown

“Idefinitelythinkaboutit
morethanIshould.”
-Ashley
@paulgordonbrown

MoreSeparate
Digital/PhysicalWorlds
MoreIntegrated
Digital/PhysicalWorlds
Analogies

“Differentmasks,orthe
differentfacesI'llputonfor
differentsocialmedia
platforms.It’snotnecessarily
thatI'macompletelydifferent
person,butit'sjustdifferent.”
-Meghan

“Ihavethisoneidentitybutit
kindofmoldsalittlebittomatch
whatisnecessaryforeachsocial
network.Notnecessarilylying
aboutmyselfit’sjustthatIkindof
fitmyidentityintothatspecific
oneIguess.”
-Logan

“It'slikeapieceofyouand
eachsocialmediaoutletisa
differentpieceofyou…”
-Grace

Use of Technology
Heavy UsersLight Users
Digitized Development
High Level SophisticationLow Level Sophistication
Digitized Selfhood
mulitplistic/relativistic/relationalsingular/unitary
Heavy technology usage is necessary but not
sufficient for digitized development to emerge.
One could be a heavy user of technology and yet
not use it in a way that leads towards greater
digitization of development.
Similar to physical world development, individuals reach
towards higher level sophistication in navigating
digitized development over time.
Digitized selfhood is the extent to which one
views digital/virtual spaces as an integral part of
one’s being and therefore constructs concepts of
self that are more multiplistic, relativistic, and
relational as opposed to singular and unitary.
Technology Usage, Digitized Development, and Digitized Selfhood
?
??
Digitized selfhood was
hypothesized, but only weakly
found in this study.
Digitized development is what occurs when developmental processes, behaviors, and life experiences play out differently as a
result of the influence of social and digital technology, their affordances, and the virtual spaces these technologies create.

Weneedtolearn
toown,rather
thanbeowned
by,technology.
@paulgordonbrown

social media
can be used
for so much
MORE

@paulgordonbrown

don’t teach
fearwith
@paulgordonbrown

don’t teach with
shame
@paulgordonbrown

be open to new
paradigms of organizing
@paulgordonbrown

learnfromeachother
aboutthesetools
@paulgordonbrown

teacheach
otherhowto
collaborateand
accomplish
groupwork
online
@paulgordonbrown

Teachand
learnabout
managing
digital
reputations.
@paulgordonbrown

bendthearc
towards
socialgood @paulgordonbrown

Image Credit: REUTERS/Kimimasa Mayama (http://www.businessinsider.com/vatican-square-2005-and-2013-2013-3)
2005ElectionofPopeBenedict

Image Credit: AP (http://www.businessinsider.com/vatican-square-2005-and-2013-2013-3)
2013ElectionofPopeFrancis

Social media in student activist movements…
Removes and
lessens barriers
Serves as a tool
for organizing
and mobilizingAdam Gismondi, Ph.D.
@AdamGismondi / @TuftsIDHE
Institute for Democracy & Higher Education

Social media in student activist movements…
Serves as a conduit for
information dissemination
and consumption
Creates a
“common
language”
Adam Gismondi, Ph.D.
@AdamGismondi / @TuftsIDHE
Institute for Democracy & Higher Education

but it also… Lead to an
avoidance of civil
debate
Adam Gismondi, Ph.D.
@AdamGismondi / @TuftsIDHE
Institute for Democracy & Higher Education
Create an
intimidating
environment for
early-stage
development

learndigital
citizenshipskills
@paulgordonbrown

become
digitally
literate
@paulgordonbrown

vulnerable
be
@paulgordonbrown

making
mistakes
isbetter
than
faking
perfections

It’sokay…andevenadvised…
totakeabreakfrom
technologyonoccasion.

be a good partner
in learning

@paulgordonbrown
www.paulgordonbrown.com
paulgordonbrown@gmail.com