Psychology of Actions: Identity When Contexts Collapse
How Social Media Blurs the Line And Merges Our Worlds
In the previous article, “Psychology of Actions: Identity in Context,” I explored how the context and situations shape our Identity. In this article, I delve into how our Identity evolves when the contexts collapse, most commonly, when we use Social Media.
My sister’s professor thinks I'm a leftist. The uncles on my dad's side think I lean toward the right wing. My best friend thinks I'm a centrist. My sister feels I switch my political leaning based on the topic under discussion. On education and healthcare, I lean left. On the economy, I lean right. (Remember, this is what my sister feels. I still haven't revealed what my true political leanings are. :))
Someday, I might reveal the truth, or maybe not. But, till I muster that courage, let's maintain the ambiguity. Honestly, I'm too afraid to share my take on politics online :) Everyone from my former boss to my sister's professor, from my aunts to that one guy I met at a networking event, is on social media. It's where my context worlds collide… and collapse.
What exactly is Context Collapse?
Well, let's start with giving the credit where it's due. Danah Boyd, a social media scholar, coined the term "Collapsed Contexts" in the early 2000s. She explains that before the rise of Social Media, we could easily compartmentalize our lives. Your weekend party persona didn't mix with your Monday Morning persona leading that team meeting. You could keep those versions of yourself separate. But now online, these groups collide, and you end up performing for all of them. All at once.
Take a post about your weekend getaway, for instance. You post it thinking you'll tease and make your friends jealous :) But then your boss jumps in with a comment, "Hope that Monday's Presentation is ready." All of a sudden, the friendly teasing that you hoped would remain limited to your friends ends up being a crude reminder of how big of a pain your Boss is. And this is the walking-on-eggshells part about Context Collapse on social media—you just can't control the audience anymore. And, it makes managing identities a hell lot more challenging than it needs to be.
How Context Collapse Shapes Identity
Throughout our lives, most of the time, we don't consciously choose which parts of our Identity to emphasize in a given situation. But, we do consciously choose which part not to emphasize in a given situation.
Primarily, we choose how not to act in most scenarios. We choose not to viciously argue with our colleagues. But, we might not care much if it’s a random stranger. Right? Similar choices create the identity of a calm and composed employee. This insight struck me like a bolt of lighting or that famous Galileo's Eureka moment (whichever one helps you visualize the scene better :)).
But when the contexts collapse, on social media for most people, the boundaries we have carefully curated between our different social and personal roles start to blur. You start questioning yourself before you post online. "Will this post drive my boss up the walls?" or "Will my extended family think I'm a lunatic if I post this?"
The Impact on Self-Perception
Managing all these different audiences at once can be nerve-wracking. Studies have shown that the helplessness we experience with the inability to separate audiences could make us anxious about our online persona. The fear of judgment from the mishmash of every single context can lead to Social Anxiety and maybe even Depression.
When you post online, you don't just think about what exactly you'd be posting but also about how everyone might interpret your post. This constant mental battle is, no doubt, taxing on your mind. It makes you second-guess yourself. It makes you feel like you're not being your authentic self.
Take reality shows. For instance—Big Brother. Most of the contestants on these shows are famous, but we are usually familiar with only limited aspects of their personality. Contestants know that they are being watched not just by their fellow housemates, but also by millions of people on television and online. So, they struggle with how to behave in front of their peers while also worrying about how the audience will perceive them. As the show progresses, you find the contestants building alliances inside the house but revealing their true feelings in the private diary/confession room. This duality mirrors how we act on social media—adjusting our behavior for a mixed public audience while being different in private. Sure, this makes the show an entertaining watch. That's why they have high television ratings. But, what's also true is that the show does have a deep psychological impact on participants. Some of them never recover even after the cameras stop rolling.
Managing Multiple Identities
So, how exactly could we handle this chaotic circus of collapsing contexts? Intelligent people (like me :), ahem ahem) curate their digital identities. We pick and choose what we post and who we share it with online. It's like running a mini PR campaign exclusively for yourself, except the stakes here are much lower (unless you're a social media influencer, then all bets are off).
Some people create separate accounts to keep things straight, like I do. I maintain 2 different Instagram accounts, one public open to all and another private just for my close friends. It's all about exerting some control over who sees which side of you based on your choice.
Challenges of Identity When Context Collapses
With collapsing context comes vexing challenges. I briefly touched upon Social Anxiety and Depression earlier. The complete package comes bundled with two more challenges: Self-Censorship and Identity Conflict.
When you know that your posts could be judged by a diverse crowd—from your boss to your friends, from your professor to your aunts—you become conscious about what you share. This often results in you censoring yourself. You make your online persona polished but most likely less authentic.
This often paves the way for Identity Conflict—where different aspects of yourself clash because you're trying to please too many people all at once. You might find yourself wondering, “Should I share this funny meme, or will my colleagues think I’m not serious enough?” It's like walking 3 dogs together with each one pulling you in a completely different direction. Managing these different identities of yourself would require you to be constantly on your toes.
Adapting to a Collapsed Context: Strategies for Navigating Identity
I know, I know, you weren't expecting me to come up with a list to deal with this digital identity juggling act. Well, I thought, why don't I surprise you? So, here are a few ideas:
Be authentic—but selectively: In case you are wondering, yes, I am asking you to be a bit manipulative but, not diabolically, of course :) It's possible to balance being true to yourself along with being mindful of your audience. You don't really have to share everything with everyone. Just enough to be authentic without the need for broad self-censorship.
Know when to embrace the merge: Sometimes, letting people see different sides of you can make you seem more relatable. Being open about your hobbies is one. If your hobbies aren’t something that society frowns upon, feel free to knock yourself out by sharing every aspect of it.
Create multiple separate accounts to configure context boundaries: This one is pretty obvious. Like I have different groups on Whatsapp, one with office colleagues, another with my friends, a separate one with my other friend circle, one with the extended family on my dad's side, and another one for my mother's side, and so on... you get the idea.
What it comes down to is what feels right to you. Maybe you don’t mind your boss seeing the office memes you share. Or maybe, like me, you’d rather keep those sides of your life separate.
Concluding Thoughts: Navigating a Collapsed World
So, the next time you're about to hit "post," pause for a moment or two to think about which part of you you would be spotlighting—or more importantly, which part of you you would really want to place under the spotlight.
And for future reference, remember, it’s okay to have different sides. Just don’t let the fear of mixing them stop you from being who you authentically are. And maybe, just maybe, sometimes it’s worth letting the worlds collide—because that’s when we discover new parts of who we are.
That’s all for this week. If you like this article, please share it. And, if you have not subscribed yet, please do and join me on this fascinating journey of intentional change.
Stay genuine! Stay authentic!
Nik Pathran
PS: I appreciate you reading this. Thanks to the new subscribers!
When you are a multi-potentialite with diverse interests and skillsets, the context world made up of several identities collides. Nobody can be completely authentic all the time. I may be a task master as a manager (because I have to), kind as a coach, something else when it comes to personal habits, and something else in my interests. All these are bound be contradictory and one can't please everyone all the time. One can show restraint in situations and platforms suited for a certain objective.