ABSTRACT
The notion of identity is both ubiquitous and elusive in academic discussions of contemporary society. Back argues that as ‘everything has become an issue of “identity” the notion is increasingly loosely defined and diffuse. Identity has become a zombie concept that is “little more than portentous incoherence”’. While Goffman’s theory is useful, in reality the representation of identity on digital media involves a more complex set of propositions. Rather than being distinct, ‘front stage’ and ‘back stage’ identities are contingent upon each other, meaning identity representation involves an ongoing process of reflection and recalibration. Photos and images were particularly important in representing identity. So too were friends and other social networks. Given the prominence of images and friend lists on the interface of many mainstream social media platforms this is not surprising. The young people used photos in a range of ways to present their identity on social media.
