The role of the media in everyday life continues to grow. As such, it is important for people to know how it can influence people, their decisions, and actions. There are many studies that have analyzed the impact of digital media. In this paper, special attention will be paid to an article written by Melissa Avdeeff, “Beyoncé and Social Media: Authenticity and the Presentation of Self”. This was published in 2016 and aimed at analyzing the Instagram account of a famous singer, in this case Beyoncé, from the point of view of its authenticity, ephemerality, and “public private self”.
The article explained the peculiarities of transparency that exist between what celebrities post online and what they actually experience, and contributes to a better understanding of how social media penetrates human lives and determines identities through online culture.
Avdeeff’s paper is a credible source of information because the author used several strong models in the presentation of self and supported her discussion with a number of reliable articles and real-life examples. Her analysis of Goffman’s framing theory and Marshall’s concept of “public private self” provided thoughtful insight on the topic and explained the possibility of Instagram providing celebrities with the power to disclose themselves to the public in a way they choose. Authenticity requires the presence of an emotional connection between a star and fans, and Instagram presents this opportunity in a carefully curated way.
This article is only a few years old and focuses on the recent impact of online media sources on ordinary people and businesses. It helps to identify the benefits and shortages of Instagram from the point of view of celebrities who want to use it for personal and professional purposes. In general, Avdeeff’s approach is a credible option for future research to adopt due to the offered theoretical and practical concepts she has discussed.