#Debating Communities and Networks X » Feed Debating Communities and Networks X » Comments Feed Debating Communities and Networks X » Social Media Influencers Have Influenced the Identity Formation of Teenagers Comments Feed alternate Teenage girls feel pressure to project an online identity that conforms to societies standards, affecting their -- -- Identity in Communities and Networks Social Media Influencers Have Influenced the Identity Formation of Teenagers 05/05/2019 ECranston -- -- How teenagers identify themselves, and choose to identify themselves in online communities and social networks, are heavily impacted by the identity cues they pick up from social media influencers. Sometimes these cues come with positive outcomes, and others with negative. This study believes there are strong arguments for and against this concept, -- -- KEYWORDS: Social media, Identity Formation, Adolescents, Micro-celebrities, Influence INTRODUCTION -- -- How teenagers identify themselves, and choose to identify themselves in online communities and social networks, are heavily impacted by the identity cues they pick up from social media influencers. Sometimes these cues come with positive outcomes, and others with negative. This study believes there are strong arguments for and against this concept, -- -- development that every adolescent will go through at least once in their life, and when taken into account its relationship with social media, particularly social media influencers, the result is fairly consequential. The definition of identity for starters, according to Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, is a combination of the “self-concept, which -- -- audience for longer. Social media influencers, also known as micro-celebrities, are notorious for creating a perfect image of themselves online and using that image to attract attention (Chae, 2017). Defined as “individuals -- -- notorious for creating a perfect image of themselves online and using that image to attract attention (Chae, 2017). Defined as “individuals who are in a consumer’s social graph and have a direct impact on the behaviour of that consumer” (Brown & Hayes, 2008), micro-celebrities have a unique role being so close to consumers and their job -- -- exercise the kind of luxurious lifestyle ordinary women could only aspire to (Chae, 2017). Instagram is a breeding ground where this comparison between social media influencers and adolescents thrive. Because Instagram is ‘currently one of the most dominant social media -- Because Instagram is ‘currently one of the most dominant social media platforms for influencer marketing with more than 600 million active users’ (Evans, Phua, Lim, & Jun; 2017), the photo and video-sharing site is a strong medium for young people to strive for social media -- -- Trofimenko, 2018). Social media influencers are easy for teenagers to get invested in, as they are similar to their audiences, and hence more appealing. Identification is easy when there is already a mould there to mimic. An -- -- they are similar to their audiences, and hence more appealing. Identification is easy when there is already a mould there to mimic. An example of a high profile social media influencer that has the potential to catalyse a false sense of one’s perceptions of social reality includes 20-year-old Brisbane YouTuber Lily Brown. In 2018, she -- -- “younger people to ever think that because you’re so insecure that it’s going to solve your problems because it’s not” (Brown, 2018). Might have this been a stand alone occurrence, then the influence on their viewers consumption patterns and lifestyle may have been drowned out, but it goes hand in hand with her friend, another high profile -- -- viewers consumption patterns and lifestyle may have been drowned out, but it goes hand in hand with her friend, another high profile influencer, Shani Grimmond. In 2017, she published a video titled, “I Want A Boob Job…” (Grimmond, 2017) which received a lot of criticism for promoting unattainable beauty standards, and a problematic -- -- validation and social legitimation, and overall, popularity. The way that teenagers choose to present themselves online closely resemble the visual codes of advertising, with which social media influencers are trained in in order to advertise themselves. -- -- trained in in order to advertise themselves. Despite this, the impact of social media influencers is also known to have desirable consequences. Influencers like 20-year-old Cartia Mallan inspire her followers to be more spiritually and emotionally -- inspire her followers to be more spiritually and emotionally vulnerable. Other positive experiences include social media influencers acting as ambassadors for “self-expression, which enable self-reflection, catharsis, and validating feedback” (Boyd, 2008). This -- -- acting as ambassadors for “self-expression, which enable self-reflection, catharsis, and validating feedback” (Boyd, 2008). This is not the only case of social media influencers positively impacting their followers, and it won’t be the last. On the other side of the same coin, Shani Grimmond has mentioned in many of her videos that she -- -- CONCLUSION Ultimately, social media influencers do not have overall harmful effects on the identity formation of teenagers. How adolescents choose to process the information they are given online cannot be equated to -- -- full use of an adolescent’ experience on social media is multifaceted. In the networked world of an adolescent, in some cases social media influencers can contribute to potentially harmful outcomes like envy and feeling left out, and in other cases, can contribute to more -- and feeling left out, and in other cases, can contribute to more positive outcomes like self-expression. Social media influencers would know better than anyone how complex social media use and influence is (Weinstein, 2018). -- -- and Digital Media Volume. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Brown, D., & Hayes, N. (2008). Influencer marketing. Amsterdam: ELSEVIER. -- -- Chae, Jiyoung. (2017). Explaining Females’ Envy Toward Social Media Influencers. Media Psychology, 21 (2), 246-262. https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1080/15213269.2017.1328312 -- -- Evans, N. J., Phua, J., Lim, J., & Hyoyeun, J. (2017). Disclosing Instagram Influencer Advertising: The Effects of Disclosure Language on Advertising Recognition, Attitudes, and Behavioural Intent. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 17 (2), 138-149. -- -- https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1080/15252019.2017.1366885 Ge, J., & Gretzel, U. (2017). Emoji rhetoric: a social media influencer perspective, Journal of Marketing Management, 34 (15-16), 1272-1295. https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1080/0267257X.2018.1483960 -- -- Weinstein, E. (2018). The social media see-saw: Positive and negative influences on adolescent’s affective well being, New Media & Society, 20 (10), 3597-3623. https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1177/1461444818755634 -- -- https://doi-org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.1177/1461444818755634 Worsham, S. (2011, November 28). Media’s Influence on Social Norms and Identity Development of Youth [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.personal.psu.edu/bfr3/blogs/applied_social_psychology/2011/1 -- -- Identity Development of Youth [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.personal.psu.edu/bfr3/blogs/applied_social_psychology/2011/1 1/medias-influence-on-social-norms-and-identity-development-of-youth.ht ml -- -- ml Adolescents Identity Formation influence Micro-celebrities Social Media Post navigation -- -- Next Post Web 2.0 Effect on Society’s Engagement with Activism 5 thoughts on “Social Media Influencers Have Influenced the Identity Formation of Teenagers” -- -- 12/05/2019 at 4:25 pm Hi Ecranston, I really liked reading your paper. Social media influencers definitely have some influence over teenagers when its comes to promoting unhealthy beauty standards but at the same time, it is empowering in that gives them a platform for self-expression. I -- -- empowering in that gives them a platform for self-expression. I wonder though, do you think the ratio between social media influencers promoting unhealthy beauty standards and those who promote self-acceptance to their followers, equal enough to balance -- promote self-acceptance to their followers, equal enough to balance the influence they have on teenagers? Overall a great paper to read! Thanks, -- -- It’s all very subjective to who you choose to follow on social media I suppose! I’d hope there were equal amounts of influencers who choose to follow both lifestyles that it would cancel out the affect it had on teenagers, but I couldn’t say for certain. Being conscious about where these superficial -- -- to internet I can relate to a lot of those points. The online audience is a rather young one and promoters are using this to promote ‘ideals’ slim tea and pills. Influencers should focus more on educating the young audience and teenagers should learn the distinction between virtual and real life. But do you think that -- -- usage. Do check it out on this link : http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Curtin/2019/05/09/socia l-media-influencers-defining-construction-of-identit/ The debate on the real authentic real-life self and the self -- The debate on the real authentic real-life self and the self portrayed on online platforms is ever-going. The influence on teenagers is non-negligible as it impacts the clothes they wear, the music they listen to and even the food they eat. This can be considered a positive thing by marketers but did the -- -- the Health Risks * Danica Spear on Social Media and the Curation of Identity: Taking a Closer look at Influencers Meta