Michael Cousin Suzanne Kristensen Angela Snyder Shea'lyn Swan

1. Ch. 1Comparing Impression Management strategies across social media platformsJeffrey H. Kuznekoff Michael Cousin Suzanne Kristensen Angela Snyder Shea'lyn Swan

2. Objective • Examination of impression management; use of impression management strategies between social media platforms (Kuzenkoff, 2013, p. 15) • How strategies employed by others differ between systems. • Introduced by Goffman: self-presentation plays important role in everyday FtF (face to face interactions. • Understanding interactions that take place online. • 3 types of social media platforms • Implications FOOD FOR THOUGHT • Discussion Questions: • Discuss your experience with one of Jones and Pittman’s five strategies used with impression management. • Discuss how impression management best fits with your group technology profile (i.e. photography, telegraph, telephone, etc.).

3. Presentation of Self & Impression Management • Goffman’s Presentation of Self - Individuals communicate and express themselves to audiences who must interpret the portrayal of these messages (2012, pp. 16-17). Goffman says that people present the idealized versions of themselves in order to gain favor from the audience (2012, p. 17). This “front” is filtered by the individual in order to share specific messages to some while hiding them from another (2012, p. 18). • Impression Management – Controlling how an audience perceives the individual is called impression management (2012, p. 18). • Past Research on Impression Management – Turkle’s 1990’s findings about how people develop an online persona concluded that criteria included “boundaries between playing a virtual game and in real life, issues of interpersonal intimacy via [computer-mediated communication], and lastly anonymity” (2012, p. 19). • Strategies– Individuals may use one or more strategies for impression management (2012, p. 20). • These include: • Ingratiation– presenting one’s self in a way that would make the individual “liked” by the audience (p. 20) • Intimidation – presenting one’s self as “dangerous or to be feared” (p. 20) • Self-promotion– presenting one’s self as having competency or skill (p. 21) • Exemplification– presenting one’s self as having morals or integrity (p. 21) • Supplication– presenting one’s self as unable to resolve a problem and solicits solutions from others (pp. 21-22)

4. Social Media Platforms& Implications • Research Shows • 3 strategies matter: • Integration– significant to Social Support Sites and Facebook in respective order • Intimidation – significant to FPS • Exemplification – significant to Social Support Sites and Facebook in respective order • Implication • Research provides starting point to study different platforms • Work towards studying other SMS (i.e. Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Google+) • Conclusion • Main contribution to chapter is that it shows how we use impression management (specifically to these 3 platforms). • Serves as a starting point for future research, to further understand our engagement while online. • Facebook • One of the most popular SNS available • Over 900 million users by 2012 • Over half log-in everyday • Offers the ability to post about yourself and respond to updates of others • Offers the ability to post videos and photos • Online first-person shooter (FPS) games • Allow gamers to experience a virtual environment through the perspective of their character • Often violent and engaged with other players through the internet • Could be linked to aggressive behavior • Allows multi-player gameplay with real time communication • 97% of American 12-17 year olds play video games • Online social support sites • Online communities for groups to discuss important issues • Include encouragement, validation, advice and feedback • Often focus on medical conditions or diseases

5. Cunningham, C. (2012). Social networking and impression management: Self-presentation in the digital age. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City NY:Doubleday.Jones, E. and Pittman, T. “Toward a General Theory of Strategic Self-Presentation.” In Psychological Perspectives on the Self, edited by Jerry M. Suls, 231-61. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1982.