Abstract
Social networking websites play an important role in our lives. These websites provide several services that allow users to enjoy their time in cyberspace by providing them space to represent their personalities in the virtual world. Using Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, this study aims to identify the way Malaysian women represent themselves, by depicting and managing their virtual identities through Facebook while exploring the way they construct their identities and realize their online presence. A convenience sampling survey was used to collect data through Facebook. A total of 133 female students from a Malaysian university were involved in the study on their self-representations (online and offline); highlighting the way they presented their identities online and suggesting whether their offline influenced the virtual identities. It also explored the relationship between offline and online self-representation among the students. The findings showed a changing self-representation of the Malaysian women based on their utilization of the different Facebook services. The concept of “I” and “you” on the front and backstage is invoked as a theoretical form to understand how representation is made among the close and distant others. The findings showed a significant effect of the offline feelings on the Online self-representation and revealed a strong relationship between the offline and online presence. It indicated the difficulty of separation between virtual and real identity.
Highlights
Individuals are expressive in managing their individuality
Facebook has quickly become a natural part of everyday life and their users go online for different purposes, such as creating an online self-image; representing themselves and managing specific impressions when they connect with others or postnarrative texts, photos or links and many other ways which Facebook provide for their users to express themselves online
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This study aims at understanding the way Malaysian Muslim female students depict their virtual identities and manage them through Facebook
Summary
It has been stated that ‘online spaces are framed by a kind of compulsory individuality, where the “freedom” to express oneself becomes a requirement, which allows identities to be managed and regulated’ (Willett, 2008: 56) This requirement plays an important role in helping individuals represent themselves and make them feel comfortable with their shaped identity in the online spaces in general, and in the social networking websites, in particular. These websites are becoming more effective as communication tools and are affecting social lives. Social network sites profiles invite comments from members and other people that are identified as Friends within the network (Boyd, 2007, p. 123)
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