Between Authenticity and Virality: The Impact of Social Media Trends on the Construction of Digital Identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34630/tth.v6i1.7326Keywords:
Digital Identity, Social Media, Authenticity, Virality, self-presentation, social validationAbstract
This article analyzes how social media influences the construction of digital identity, with a focus on the relationship between authenticity and virality. Through a critical examination, it explores the role of strategic self-presentation, viral trends, algorithms, and forms of social validation in the way individuals present themselves online. It is analyzed that, although social media offers opportunities for expression, visibility, and relationship-building, it also pushes individuals to adapt their identity to social expectations and the dynamics of popularity. This process can lead to standardized behaviors, foster comparisons among people, and affect psychological well-being. Digital identity tends to become performative, seeking to be seen and recognized by society, and the authenticity of digital identity often depends on the rules of digital platforms.
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