#PERCEPTION TV SHOW PROFESSIONAL#

They may be increasingly involved in the curation of their online identities, possibly at the cost of developing their real-world selves. Individuals may experience a greater sense of urgency to return to or remain in digital spaces. These unique qualities of the cyber self raise a host of psychological issues and concerns, Aiken explains. And unlike the actual self, the cyber self is far more malleable when it comes to being shaped, updated, and perfected. In this way, social media users are never fully removed from exposure to judgment and criticism. The cyber self also continues to exist in social spaces even when people are not interacting with those environments in real time.

#PERCEPTION TV SHOW PROFESSIONAL#

He or she may present a professional self on LinkedIn, a casual self on Twitter, or an artistic self on Pinterest. However, the differences between the cyber self and actual self are profound.Ī person may possess many versions of the cyber self, for example. As in real life, the cyber self may interact with other individuals, receive social feedback, and align to social conformities.

The cyber self is the version of him or herself a person chooses to present on a digital platform. Social media has brought with it the concept of the “cyber” self, Mary Aiken explains. However, this exposure has led to an ever-increasing number of “mirrors,” thus proposing new questions about the development of self. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and the like make it possible to connect with others in ways never before imagined. The rise of social media makes the process of the looking-glass self infinitely more complex. People constantly seek to create consistency between their internal and external worlds and, therefore, continue to perceive, adjust, and strive for equilibrium throughout their lives. Ultimately, the process of the looking-glass self is one of alignment. People also usually take their own value systems into consideration when thinking through any changes to their behavior or views of self. People may take the responses from those whom they trust more seriously than those of strangers. Not all feedback carries the same weight, for instance. The process of the looking-glass self is further complicated by the context of each interaction and the nature of the people involved. However, if the colleagues provide negative feedback, such as looking away or leaving the conversation quickly, the individual might question how professional they truly are. If these coworkers provide positive feedback, such as maintaining eye contact or offering a firm handshake, the individual’s belief in her own professionalism will be upheld. During this interaction with her new co-workers, the individual pays attention to her colleagues’ body language, word choices, and reactions to the conversation. This individual believes she can easily demonstrate professionalism and competence to others.

Someone meets a group of new work colleagues for the first time. In practice, the process might look like this:

The individual develops feelings about and responds to those perceived judgments.

That individual imagines others’ judgment of that appearance.

An individual in a social situation imagines how they appear to others.

Core AssumptionsĪccording to Society in Focus, the process of discovering the looking-glass self occurs in three steps: According to Self, Symbols, & Society, Cooley’s theory is notable because it suggests that self-concept is built not in solitude, but rather within social settings. In this way, society and individuals are not separate, but rather two complementary aspects of the same phenomenon. Using social interaction as a type of “mirror,” people use the judgments they receive from others to measure their own worth, values, and behavior. The looking-glass self describes the process wherein individuals base their sense of self on how they believe others view them. According to sociologist Charles Horton Cooley, individuals develop their concept of self by observing how they are perceived by others, a concept Cooley coined as the “looking-glass self.” This process, particularly when applied to the digital age, raises questions about the nature of identity, socialization, and the changing landscape of self.

When it comes to understanding ourselves, social interaction plays a more important role than many of us realize.

Perception tv show