The concept that I will be talking about this week is Goffman's impression management. Goffman's impression management is when when we try to create a face and image for ourselves in an attempt to convince others and ourselves that that is who we really are. I think this concept is really important to talk about because a lot of people can relate to this and are affected by this. So many people are feeling insecure these days and are trying to prove to others that they are someone that they aren’t in order to fit in.
Relating this back to the real world, a great example of Goffman's impression management is when you compare your online self to your real self. Online people always make themselves seem more put together and they upload all of their best pictures of themselves. Some users even admit to committing impression management when they post “insta vs. real life photos” on their accounts. For example, the first photo (insta) would be a picture of them smiling on the beach but the second photo (real life) would be a picture of them getting hit by a wave. The first photo shows the public who they want to be while the second is a more realistic representation of who they are.
In my opinion, the only reason that people try to use impression management online is to fit these social norms we have set for ourselves and stereotypes. People are so focused on fitting in and getting people to like them that they lose sight of who they really are. They care more about if other people like them rather than caring about if they still like who they are. We try so hard to fit these molds and compare ourselves to others that we are slowly losing the person that we used to be. This does not happen with all people, but with so many people using social media, many are affected by social norms and trying to fit in.
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