Technologies of the Self in the Age of Modern Social Media : A Foucauldian perspective on political identity construction in the age of short form video content in social media

Sammanfattning

The study examines how Short-Form Video Content (SFVC) design elements help young adults who use Instagram and TikTok create political identities. Few studies look at how platform design patterns serve as locations for the reflexive construction of political identity, especially when viewed through the lens of Michel Foucault's technologies of the self. The study employs a qualitative methodology that combined semi-structured interviews, diary log and observation with eleven individuals in Sweden, ages 19 to 26. Exomologesis (symbolic, embodied self-exposure through ritual actions) and exagoreusis (self-constitution by verbal proclamation), two of Foucault's notions, are operationalized as analytical lenses for understanding practices mediated by platforms. Thematic analysis of observation notes, interview transcripts, and platform interaction logs revealed six interrelated strategies: symbolic reflection through likes and saves; outward declaration through reposts and private messages; cross-platform verification as epistemic vigilance; algorithmic manipulation for exposure to opposing views; algorithmic manipulation for belief reinforcement through administrative self-examination; and affective boundary-setting through avoidance. There was also an additional methodological finding that demonstrated the influence of researcher positionality on participant responses. The findings demonstrate how the collision of the user's technologies of self with the platform's technologies of dominance actively constructs political identity on SFVC platforms, with each micro-practice representing a negotiation between the two.