the topic I have chose for my assignment relates to the platformization of the internet, and its implications on individual identity.

It cannot be denied that core aspects of modern identity have been shaped by the integration of the internet into our daily lives.

A particularly influential component of this is the domination of social media platforms and the participatory nature of which they facilitate.

More and more, we see how social media has become a powerful tool for education and expression yet we tend to underestimate the capacity that this has on our sense of identity both in the online and offline world.

The dichotomy between social media platforms and identity has a cyclical nature: The expression of a particular individual identity typically influences/ inspires the way in which another will develop their own.

This notion is epitomized by the rise of the influencer culture in the late 2010’s over popular social media platforms, notably Instagram.

The ability of individual expression as a means of influencing others was commercialised as tool for promotion and advertisements which now dominates the marketing sphere.

One might argue that influencer promotions as marketing strategy replicate existing strategies such as celebrity/ professional endorsements.

However the pervasive nature of social media platforms in real life means that social media platform users are constantly exposed to commerciased identity of the poeple they choose to follow.