Agency and Identity in Social Media

Abstract

Social and group interactions in online and virtual communities develop and evolve from expressions of human agency. The exploration of the emergence of agency in social situations is of critical importance to understanding the psychology of agency and group interactions in social media. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the prevalence of agency in existing research in educational psychology relative to its potential impact on the bourgeoning field of identity in social media. Published articles from leading theorists in identity theory, agency, life course studies, and educational psychology provide a framework in which agentic behavior and digital identity formation in social media can be studied. Through an examination of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory of Agency (Bandura, 1989, 2000, 2006), this chapter identifies and discusses agentic behavior evident in social media and its potential impacts for research and practice.