A Spectrum of Social Media Interactions
Due to social media’s ability to blur the distinction between the private and public spheres, interactions that take place within this space can be placed on a spectrum. The ends of the spectrum are both of the identities in the purest possible form, keeping the physical world identity and the virtual world identity unrelated as much can be managed. Meaning, in the example of Alyanna, the user who uses Second Life to live out her identity as a fox, little to no information about her physical identity is known by other Second Life users. This is the same for the users who take on a completely new identity, unrelated to their physical world identity. However, as established, it is not possible to completely abandon the physical world identity, as they are cyborgs the users must have both the physical and virtual identities. That being said, certain acts performed within and outside of the media move along a spectrum between the two. The cyborg’s identity is malleable, or is a controlled effort to change and reshape depending on the private or public sphere environment. Annie Jin defines the, “virtual malleable self” as “characterized by duality (stability and variability), displaying both chronic identities and temporarily activated states in technology-mediated virtual identity construction and virtual communication” (Jin). Meaning, both the physical and virtual identities of the cyborg user are chronically, or continuously, present, but it is the user who chooses when to temporarily activate one more than the other depending on their intended sphere. Just as the traditional physical identity shifts and changes depending on the environment, it is also the case with the virtual environment as well, as it is also compiled of “...a continually active, shifting array of virtual possible selves” (Jin). An individual’s repertoire of possible selves is the cognitive manifestation of enduring goals, aspirations, motives, fears, and threats as is the same with virtual possible selves, which include “...the good selves, the bad selves, the hoped-for selves, the feared selves, the true selves, the not-me selves, the ideal selves, the ought selves, the individual selves, and the relational selves manifested in virtual communication” (Jin). It is due to this malleable nature of possible, active, and realized selves that social media cannot be confined to a single sphere, instead must take on the fluidity of a spectrum, shaping and reshaping the cyborg’s identity as interactions are made in regard to the social media in both public and private spheres, by virtual and physical identities.
The virtual aspect of cyborgs sometimes teeter so lightly between the private and public sphere that their privacy can only be tolerated to an extent as it is jeopardized when their virtual identity is questioned and they no longer can remain in anonymity. This is especially true when other social media users are involved. For example, the popular MTV television show Catfish originally began as a documentary of co-host Nev Schulman’s own discovery of the person, Megan, who he was romantically involved with online. He ultimately decided to pay his internet love a visit and found a woman other than the one he believed he was dating online. Now, Nev and co-host Max Joseph help other people who are involved romantically online discover the actual physical identity of the virtual user, completely removing the virtual identity. This elimination of the virtual aspect of a cyborg means that the public sphere consumes the private sphere, vastly moving along the spectrum, when the physical real world identity is revealed to viewers and the individual the cyborg was in a relationship with.
A prime example of a virtual identity that originated in private sphere but has moved further into the physical side is the act of cyberbullying. This is a more extreme, and, unfortunately, common, case where the social media user cyborg’s existence and interaction in both the public and private sphere is delicately maintained on the threshold between a completely public or private sphere. Bullying in general can take place in a variety of forms, whether it is the traditional schoolyard bullying for children, bullying adults in the workplace, or even bullying that takes place through online multi-user virtual environments. Cyberbullying is typically performed by using at least one virtual identity in order to harm or intimidate another social media user. This act is also mostly performed by cyborgs, or those whose physical real world identity is different, anonymous and unknown due to the fact that, like experimenting with a new body, hairstyle, or gender, there are little real world consequences for the cyborg performing the bullying. However, since social media does not exist is a solely private sphere there are real world consequences for the individual receiving the bullying, much like they would be if it were done in a physical public sphere like traditional bullying. Like all forms of bullying, cyberbullying can also cause real world anxiety, stress, and depression. As previously established, the user of social media is a real world human, regardless of separate virtual identities, who exists in the real world as well as the virtual. So, for Cardenas' example that the user is made to feel empowered by their virtual identity and then as a result they are given confidence that allows them to integrate their desired identity, or virtual identity, into their their physical identity. However, the example of cyberbullying has a much different effect, mainly on the victim. While the exploration of identity through the virtual world can be positive and beneficial for the cyborg, the intent of cyberbullying is malicious. They both move along the spectrum in a very similar way, originating from a mostly private sphere in their virtual identity but then having real world consequences, only in the case of the cyberbullying the victim is hurt. Meaning, while the act of cyberbullying takes place only online, the results affect the individual in both a virtual and physical outcome.
