The negative role social media plays in shaping its users’ identity (Pulse contributor’s opinion)

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In creating room for more identity diversity on social media, we lock ourselves in mental boxes.

There is an ancient Asian saying that goes; “That we have three faces, one we reveal in public spaces, the one we show our closest friends, and the last, is the face visible to ourselves in private”. If this saying originated in the 21st century, there will be a fourth face, representing another identity, which is the one we maintain on social media.

Social media has and continues to play many roles in society and culture, some commendable, others worthy of criticism. One of these roles is the shaping of identities and categorizing of its users within certain virtual boxes. This process is done unconsciously by the users themselves when they spend most hours consuming content in a specific niche. This alerts the social app algorithm of the user’s interests and stance on certain topics. This prompts the app to spoon-feed its users more content within a narrative to keep the user as long as possible on the app. However, by doing so, the user is put in an identity box, and then the user puts other users on and individuals in real life in racial, sexual, political, religious boxes. And this model is flawed.

Tiktok makes it easy to create content

While it may be positive that everyone is now distinguishable based on their online activity and For your page, the dark truth about this kind of identity dynamic, is that it keeps us locked in that particular box, that we do not see people for other things other than what they like, comment on, share, who they follow. This strict system blocks room for genuine conversations that could foster unity and influence progress in real life. And we must challenge this dynamic and break out of these identity boxes we have built for ourselves so we might have actual growth.

Yes, these identity groups act as safe spaces for certain individuals in marginalized communities. However, we must begin to look at the bigger picture where digital spaces and platforms can thrive in identity diversity, not strict distinction and differences.

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