When I hear the word ‘identity’ I never really know what to think. I feel as if the word identity means more now than it did than a few decades ago as people can be whoever they want or whatever they want without a sense of judgement from others.

More and more people have gained the confidence to be who they want without caring about whatever people think; and I believe social media is a huge part of this.

The social media platforms have a growing importance in our lives since they are the places where we “showcase” our living experiences. Social media enables identity expression, exploration, and experimentation; something natural for the human experience. It is the agencies in real life, which provide a source of names for different sectors, that inspire the internet communities and the interactions they make within themselves.

https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/mjsosc/v8y2017i5p85-92n8.html

When it comes to social media there are lots of different groups for people to belong to when it comes to identity.

An individual’s social identity indicates who they are in terms of the groups to which they belong. Examples of social identities are race/ethnicity, gender, social class/socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, (dis)abilities, and religion/religious beliefs.

https://www.northwestern.edu/searle/initiatives/diversity-equity-inclusion/social-identities.html