The discourse of online identities: The case of Facebook

Abstract

Identity is typically divided into personal and social. In previous research, I have proposed a three-fold distinction that includes an interactive identity which, to a certain extent, plays the part of “feeds” for personal and social identity. The importance of these three identities in the virtual world has varied depending on how the Internet has evolved and has imbricated (and hybridised) in our ordinary lives. Nowadays, social networking sites such as Facebook or Tuenti offer an ideal environment for identity shaping and users’ discourse, in its textual, visual or multimodal varieties, is essential to manage it. This article analyzes a number of Facebook entries, together with the discourse used therein, and also the impact that these entries and the comments they elicit have on users’ identities.