Self-Presentation and Reinvention of Self Through Digital Media
Fjolla Zllatku
ABSTRACT
The digital era has reshaped identity formation, turning self-presentation into a mediated and continuously evolving process. Building on Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical model, this paper explores how digital platforms blur the distinction between private rehearsal spaces and public identity performances by collapsing audiences into unified interaction streams. Psychological evidence from large-scale adolescent studies suggests that identity outcomes depend more on the nature of engagement and authenticity of self-representation than on screen time volume alone. Cultural critics further highlight that platform architectures and attention-driven metrics influence which identity signals gain visibility and social reinforcement. The paper synthesizes sociological theory, adolescent identity research, and media-cultural critique to propose a framework for coherent and ethical digital self-authorship. The findings advocate for reflective self-reinvention that preserves psychological clarity, moral alignment, and contextual awareness while leveraging digital affordances for personal growth rather than performative distortion.
