Date of Fellowship Completion
4-26-2024
Major Department
Philosophy
Second Major
Political Science
Minor
Public Policy
First Project Advisor
Julian J. Schlöder
Graduation Date
5-2025
Abstract
Since the dawn of online environments such as social media platforms, individuals have coupled their social lives with their online presence in various formats such as through posting, commenting, following, and liking the media others publish on media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (now known as X), TikTok, and others. The rise of the widespread use of social media in the 21st century has fueled a divide between the in-person world and the virtual world. This gap can impact not only one’s self-identity but their social identity as well. This raises an important question about human sociality in the 21st century: is there a difference in degree or kind of sociality as compared to before the advent of social media? This gap also raises questions about how validation is obtained and maintained. In this paper, I will make the claim that since the dawn of the hyperconnected world, individuals have faced a difference in degree of sociality. This difference in degree of socialization has the potential to impact one’s social and spiritual Self. It also can influence how personal and cultural identity is shaped, both in virtual and in-person environments. How the Self is affected by social media, both internally and externally, will tell us a considerable amount about ourselves, our culture, and our collective future.