In today’s Internet age, it’s becoming more and more like Dramaturgy as suggested by Goffman. In the Internet, social media has become a platform for people to express themselves——use social media as a stage front to show who you are and what you want people to know about you. For example, a friend of mine once came to me crying because she was travelling to Singapore with her mum and her mum didn’t take a good picture of her – she was crying because she couldn’t update her picture on social media, she couldn’t show what she wanted people to see! She cried because she couldn’t update her photos on social media to show the “her” that she wanted everyone to see.
Baudelaire once said “Consumer behaviour, which is apparently focused on, and orientated towards, objects and enjoyment [jouissance], in fact conduces to quite other goals: that of the metaphorical or displaced expression of desire, that of production, through differential signs, of a social code of values. It is not, then, the individual function of interest across a corpus of objects which is determinant, but the immediately social function of exchange, of communication, of distribution of values across a corpus of signs”.
In his view, consumption appears to be concerned with and orientated towards objects and pleasures, but in fact achieves an entirely different goal. It involves a metaphorical or alternative way of expressing desire, through differentiated symbols that produce codes of social values.
Social media in fact also constructs a consumer behaviour, in which people operate and shape their own image, which is essentially a pursuit and inheritance of ‘things’. This “thing” is a symbol, and symbols are assigned a certain value. Therefore, we can say that the self-image that people pursue in social media is essentially the worship of commodity fetish.
In social media, the communication between subjects becomes a communication between a virtual audience (we don’t know if the person watching our social media is a real person or not) and a mass of symbols that are filled with human-assigned values.
Through symbols one fulfils the desires of the ego and obtains a sense of satisfaction or pleasure. Although this behaviour turns people into a collection of symbols, and thus into commodities, at the same time people present on social media through symbols the “self” they aspire to be, which is not the real one, but is more in line with their imagination, their desires, and, in Bordelia’s words, “hyper-reality”. In Bordeaux’s words, it is “hyper-reality”.
References：
Baudrillard, J. (2017). The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London: SAGE.
Lane, R. J. (2013). Jean Baudrillard. Chongqing: Chongqing University Press.
Your insightful analysis of the dramaturgical aspects of social media resonates with the evolving nature of self-presentation in our digital age. The metaphorical expression of desire through symbols, as highlighted by Baudelaire, captures the essence of contemporary consumer behavior on these platforms. Your example of a friend’s emotional response to a photo underscores the profound impact of social media in shaping self-perception. While acknowledging the risk of reducing individuals to commodities, your observation on the pursuit of a symbolic “self” aligns with the concept of hyper-reality, where virtual personas become intricate manifestations of aspirations and imaginations. Your nuanced exploration sheds light on the intricate dynamics of communication and identity in the online realm.
Great job in explaining the concept of self-construction in the Internet age and connecting it to dramaturgy, consumer behavior, and “hyper-reality.” The use of a personal anecdote is engaging and relatable, offering a real-world example. To enhance clarity, consider simplifying some sentences for easier digestion, making sure each idea is expressed clearly.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to expand on the concept of “hyper-reality” a bit more. Explain how it specifically manifests in social media self-presentation, providing concrete examples if possible. This will help readers grasp the significance of this term in the context of your blog.
Consider incorporating more anecdotes or examples to illustrate your points further. Real-life scenarios can make the concepts more relatable and enhance the overall readability of your blog.
Lastly, a brief summary or concluding paragraph that ties together the main ideas and emphasizes their significance can provide readers with a clear takeaway. This will reinforce the key insights you’ve discussed throughout the blog.
Keep up the excellent work, and with a bit more clarity and additional examples, your exploration of self-construction in the