Similarities and differences between social media and reality

Social media reflects reality. However, social media also allows for a manufactured and manipulated version of reality. In as You Like it, the character Jacques states, "All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players," (II, vi). Years before the advent of social media, Shakespeare was writing about how people spend their whole lives performing. Their personalities are their egos: something that is personally and socially constructed. Social media is similar to real life because it enhances the ability to create personas, change those personas at will, and project those personas to a target audience.

Social media is similar to real life because it makes it more possible to create different personas. With social media, the number of different personas that can be created is even more than what is possible in real life. In real life, the number of personas a person has is limited by their geography and social status. Social media allows the person to have an international audience regardless of their social status in their actual community. People with low social status may seek to boost their profile in public or online. In real life, people who want to boost their status might seek to form partnerships with high profile organizations or brands. Social media facilitates this process by what Squires calls being a "brand ambassador," (4). Being a brand ambassador means presenting the self on the world's stage in ways that positively reflect on one's own persona while also promoting the brand. Unfortunately, being a brand ambassador and being obsessed with how one presents their persona can cause psychological problems. In real life and on social media, being overly concerned with one's appearance can lower self-esteem (Squires). Therefore, people need to be careful about their level of media exposure in general, cultivate media literacy, and practice having high self-esteem.

In real life, people change their personas, lifestyles, and personalities and the same is true with social media. It is possible for people to create whole new identities online, using different names, and showcasing their multiple talents. Likewise, in real life, a person can suddenly show up to school with a new look because the person is no longer interested in the same music or style of clothing. Because people change rapidly, the need to change personas on the "stage" of life is a natural part of social-psychological functioning. On social media, it is possible for people to hide behind their fake online personas because they have a degree of anonymity while online (Squires 2). The same is true in real life, where one can work behind the scenes to machinate a scheme to get someone in trouble or to cause problems. The same ethical principles are at stake in real life and the virtual life of social media. Treating people with respect is the sign of a good character and moral virtue, and using social media does not necessarily make people any less ethical.