Behind a screen : self-presentation amongst Maltese young people on social media

Abstract

The ever-growing use of Social Network Sites (SNS) has triggered this research into the exploration of the self-presentational goals and strategies of Maltese young people on their online profiles as well as the awareness of the implications of their posts. This qualitative study expands on previous research regarding self-presentation on social media to highlight how young people are using these arenas to manage their self-image in front of a large audience through selfies and posts on Instagram and Facebook. Young Maltese people ages 18-30, both male and female, were interviewed for the research and an examination of their online profiles conducted in the process. The conclusions drawn from the study are that young people are presenting themselves in a way that they think is appropriate for their viewers and their online posts are influenced by the feedback that they receive. More specifically, the findings imply that individuals tend to modify their self-image according to the expectations of the audience that is observing them and greatly rely on feedback as a source of confidence. The dissertation also makes a number of recommendations for further research.