Media Masquarade

The internet has turned into a huge social stage where people play different roles in online communities. This is something that can be examined through the work of Erving Goffman and George H. Mead. In forums, multiplayer games, or social networks, people often create characters and follow unwritten rules that are similar to roles in real life. Goffman’s dramaturgical theory (the idea of holding a mask as a role) is often used to explain how people act online. For example, people wear profile “masks” and play different roles depending on the situation (professional on LinkedIn, funny on Twitter, nurturing in a parenting forum, etc.). Studies show that users are aware of how they act in these situations. A study of Facebook profiles found different ways that people present themselves. For example, some people act as “public diarists,” sharing their real lives, while others curate an “influencer” role, showing off an idealized lifestyle.

Significantly, these roles are not assumed in isolation; they develop through interaction. Mead’s understanding of the social basis of the self is clear here: online communities give people reference groups and a “generalized other” that they internalize. A member of a hobby subreddit, for instance, learns the group’s norms and jokes and then plays a role (like “expert helper,” “class clown,” or “lurker”) that affects and reflects who they are. The freedom that comes with having an online identity can be liberating.

Digital environments amplify the performative and interactive aspects of social existence articulated by classical theorists, transforming each online space into a stage for role-playing and self-exploration.

References (Social Roles on the Internet):

Merunková, L., & Šlerka, J. (2019). Goffman’s theory serves as a framework for analyzing self-presentation on online social networks. Masaryk University Journal of Law and Technology, 13(2), 243–276.

McClain, C., Rainie, L., & Bell, P. (2023). Users’ own words about life on social media. Pew Research Center report, June 7, 2023, on focus groups about social media.