Goffman’s theory of the presentation of self has become the framework for a broader understanding of behaviors and motivation. According to the theory, an individual acts in a way as if they are an actor on a stage, which is referred to as “impression management” intended to present oneself to others as one would hope to be received (Merunková & Šlerka, 2019). Every situation in a person’s life is a new scene, with people performing different toles depending on each situation and the people who form the immediate environment. The importance of the theory lies in the fact that it differentiates between the types of people who would influence different behaviors. For example, how an individual behaves around their co-workers would differ from the way they act in front of their close friends. Notably, the theory does not state that a person would alter one’s personality and behavior consciously; instead, different types of people see different sides of an individual due to varied behaviors.
Similar to a play where characters matter, the setting also has an important role. For instance, when a person invites their friends over for dinner, he or she plays the role of a host. There is a consensus that the host provides seating, food, some entertainment, as well as is responsible for cleaning up as guests leave. Similarly, the friends are invited to play the roles of guests and are expected to respect the property of the host and obey the rules of the household. Regardless of the role that one is expected to play, there needs to be a shared reality between everyone involved. Therefore, when a person views themselves as guest while others see them as a host, there may be some challenges in communication.
Overall, Goffman’s presentation of self describes theatrical performance occurring during face-to-face interactions. Thus, when a person comes in contact with another person, they would attempt to guide or manage the impressions that another person will form, by changing the setting, appearance, and the manner of behavior. Simultaneously, the other person attempts to make an impression of the first person and find as much information about them as possible. According to Goffman, the participants of social interactions will engage in processes and practices intended to help them avoid embarrassing themselves in front of others. Because society is not homogenous, it is natural that people will act differently in various settings.
Goffman’s theory of the presentation of the self is multi-dimensional, allowing for making interpretations about human behavior in different contexts. Applying the theory to digital communication is an interesting area of research because online representations of self have shown to differ between face-to-face and online communication. More than in the ‘real’ world, individuals engaging in an online setting depend mainly on their ability to formulate their thoughts verbally and decode meanings and connotations from the written word (Barrett-Maitland & Lynch, 2020). Moreover, communication technologies have allowed for the use of non-verbal manifestations such as audiovisual elements that include videos, photographs, emojis, and gifs.
The elements of the stage described in the theory are also present in online environments, with user profiles on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook representing the façade of an individual that he or she carefully selects ). Thus, to fulfill the expectations of the audience and the social norms for gaining positive feedback, an individual is likely to develop his or her idealized self to appear in the best light possible. This may be achieved through exaggerating certain aspects of personality and hiding or suppressing the unfavorable ones. This way, digital communication entails presenting oneself in a certain role and controlling the impression that they make on others, thereby influencing the opinions being formed in the minds of the audience. In Goffman’s theory, such a strategy is referred to as impression management.
When communicating online, therefore, individuals will inevitably adjust their presentation and behavior to appear more favorably in the eyes of the person with whom they are conversing. Because the face-to-face aspect is absent in instant digital communication, it is possible to take more time to think about one’s responses and choice of words as a part of one’s self-representation. Besides, the Internet has been widely criticized for enabling fake representations of self and exaggerations of reality, which furthers the claim that individuals will alter their appearance and character to be perceived as figures of influence (Pinker, 2018). Due to the possibility to present oneself in a certain way online, digital influencers have become highly popular. Thus, because the online environment is highly flexible and multi-dimensional, it allows individuals to consider their self-representation and alter behaviors to fit the expectations of the audience. Goffman’s theory of the presentation of the self is possible to apply to digital communication because it eliminates the face-to-face component of immediate interactions and allows for the considerations of how a person wants to present themselves in the eyes of another individual.
References
Barrett-Matland, N., & Lynch, J. (2020). Social media, ethics and the privacy paradox. Web.
Merunková, L., & Šlerka, J. (2019). Goffman’s theory as a framework for analysis of self presentation on online social networks. Masaryk University Journal of Law and Technology 13(2), 243-276.
Pinker, S. (2018). The media exaggerates negative news. This distortion has consequences. The Guardian. Web.