The Crisis of Social Identity in the Digital Era: A Sociological Analysis of Prosocial Behaviour,Altruism and Persuasion in Social Media

Abstract

Social media is often central to the construction of identity, interpersonal contact and community creation, particularly for the youth and digital natives. Social media provides the opportunity for the practice of social altruism and the exercise of empathy and support, but it also results in a ‘social identity crisis’ as a result of performative altruism, social identity manipulation and ‘self’ commoditisation. This article seeks to understand ‘social behaviour, altruism and social influence’ in the context of digital social work and the paradoxical social outcomes that these phenomena give rise to, especially social behaviour that is constructive and destructive in nature. This study seeks to demonstrate, from a sociological standpoint, how the online world can encourage populace social altruism through charity, hashtag activism and virtual support groups, but can also dangerously reduce altruism to performative self-presentation. Altruism is, in these cases, rarely issued. Persuasion, mostly through influencers and viral social media, provides a paradoxical instrument that influences social behaviour and attitudes for social promotion or social manipulation, in which both extremes of the continuum can be present.