Authenticity in a Digital World

In the new millennium, identity is no longer just something we “have”it is something we build, market, and perform. Whether we are navigating racial and gendered expectations or the “mantra of the Instagram era,” we are constantly influenced by the ideology of the media we consume.

The Prompt

Analyze how modern identity is constructed through the lens of both social expectations and digital influence. You must argue your own perspective on whether our “authentic” selves can truly exist in a world of echo chambers, social media “mantras,” and gender/racial scripts.

To support your argument, you must:

1. Select THREE texts from the following list (representing at least two different sub-topics):

• Race/Gender: In Living Color, Which People?, Gender Role Behaviors, or The Gender Blur.
• Digital/Internet: Gladstone, Silverman, Tiffany, or Estrin.

1. Use at least TWO pieces of quoted material in each body paragraph to support your claims.
2. Address the “So What?”: Does the internet liberate our identities, or does it just create new “Influencing Machines” (as Gladstone suggests) that trap us in narrower versions of ourselves?

Brainstorming Your “Three-Prong” Thesis

Since you are using the Support/Refute/Complicate model, consider these three paths for your thesis:

• The “Complicate” Path (Recommended): “While authors like [Silverman] argue that social media forces an inauthentic ‘performance’ of the self, this digital pressure actually complicates the already existing social scripts regarding race and gender discussed by [Gladstone] and [Hanaike/Textbook Author].”
• The “Refute” Path: “Despite Judy Estrins concerns about what the internet is doing to young people, the digital world actually provides a space to transcend the rigid ‘Gender Blurs’ and racial stereotypes analyzed in Chapters 2 and 3.”

How the New Texts Change the Conversation:

• Jacob Silverman (“Pics or It Didn’t Happen”): This is perfect for those of you who like to discuss the “Performance of Identity.” If they don’t post it, does it exist?
• Brooke Gladstone (“Echo Chambers”): This helps you discuss Ideology. Our identities are often reinforced by the “Influencing Machines” that show us only what we want to see.
• Kaitlyn Tiffany & Judy Estrin: These provide a “Cautionary” voice. They allow you to argue that identity construction today is more dangerous or stressful than it was for previous generations.

Submission Checklist:

• Word Count: 750+ words.
• Source Count: 3 different texts from the provided list.
• Quote Density: At least 2 quotes per body paragraph (using the ICE method).
• Formatting: MLA style with a Works Cited page.

SIgns of life in the USA 11th edition