Constructing personal identities online
Self-disclosure in popular blogs
The current study aims to discern how identities are built within a sample of ten popular personal blogs and to depict the varieties of identities that emerge. The focus is placed on the diversity of topics disclosed by the bloggers (the breadth of self-disclosure) and the context-bound personal identities that are constructed through this process. The material employs Gee’s (2011) classification of I-statements and Bucholtz and Hall’s (2005, 2008) theorization of interaction and identity. The analysis shows that the topics disclosed in the blogs elucidate facets of online identity supported and created by interaction with the audience, and that a close examination of self-disclosure provides a fruitful approach to studying online identity construction.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Theoretical background and research aims
- 3.Material
- 4.Analysis
- 4.1Breadth of disclosure
- 4.2Constructing specific identities through self-disclosure
- 4.2.1Average Girl and a blogger identity
- 4.2.2Bitchy Waiter and situational identities
- 4.2.3Pole to Sole and a survivor identity
- 5.Conclusions
-
Notes
-
References
References (50)
Primary sources
A Southerner in San Francisco
Divine Secrets of Domestic Diva
Secondary sources
Altman, I., & Taylor, D. A.
(
1973)
Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bandura, A.
(
1977)
Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioural change.
Psychological Review, 84(2): 191–215.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Blogger
(
2014)
Blogs of Note. Retrieved from
[URL]
Bolander, B., & Locher, M. A.
(
2014)
Doing sociolinguistic research on computer-mediated data: A review of four methodological issues.
Discourse, Context and Media, 3: 14–26.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bronstein, J.
(
2013)
Personal blogs as online presences on the Internet: Exploring self-presentation and self-disclosure in blogging.
Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 65(2): 161–181.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K.
(
2005)
Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach.
Discourse Studies, 7(4–5): 585–614.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K.
(
2008)
Finding identity: Theory and data.
Multilingua, 27(1–2): 151–163.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Chen, G. M.
(
2012)
Why do women write personal blogs? Satisfying needs for self-disclosure and affiliation tell part of the story.
Computers in Human Behaviour, 28(1): 171–180.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cho, S. H.
(
2007)
Effects of motivations and gender on adolescents’ self-disclosure in online chatting.
CyberPsychology & Behaviour, 10(3): 339–345.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Choi, Y. K., Yoon, S., & Lacey, H. P.
(
2013)
Online game characters’ influence on brand trust: Self-disclosure, group membership, and product type.
Journal of Business Research, 66(8): 996–1003.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Crystal, D.
(
2006)
Language and the Internet (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Edwards, J.
(
2009)
Language and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ess, C., & the AoIR Ethics Working Committee
(
2002)
Ethical decision-making and internet research: Recommendations from the AoIR Ethics Working Committee. Retrieved from
[URL]
Eysenbach, G., & Till, J.
(
2001)
Ethical issues in qualitative research on Internet communities.
British Medical Journal, 323: 1103–1105.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Gee, J. P.
(
2011)
An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method (3rd ed.). London/New York: Routledge.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Greene, K., Derlega, V. J., & Mathews, A.
(
2006)
Self-disclosure in personal relationships. In
A. L. Vangelisti, &
D. Perlman (Eds.).
The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships (pp. 409–427). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Herring, S.
(
2004)
Computer-mediated discourse analysis: An approach to researching online behaviour. In
S. A. Barab,
R. Kling, &
J. H. Gray (Eds.).
Designing for Virtual Communities in the Service of Learning (pp. 338–376). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Herring, S., Kouper, I., Paolillo, J., Scheidt, L., Tyworth, M., Wright, E., & Yu, N.
(
2005)
Conversations in the blogsphere: An analysis ‘from the bottom up’. Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Los Alamitos, IEEE Press. Retrieved from
[URL]
Holtgraves, T.
(
1990)
The language of self-disclosure. In
H. Giles, &
P. W. Robinson (Eds.).
Handbook of Language and Social Psychology (pp. 191–207). New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jang, C. Y., & Stefanone, M. A.
(
2011)
Non-directed self-disclosure in the blogosphere.
Information, Communication and Society, 14(7): 1039–1059.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jaszczcolt, K. M.
(
2013)
First-person reference in discourse: Aims and strategies.
Journal of Pragmatics, 48(1): 57–70.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jorgensen, S. R., & Gaudy, J. C.
(
1980)
Self-disclosure and satisfaction in marriage: The relation examined.
Family Relations, 29(3): 281–287.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Jourard, S. M.
(
1971)
The Transparent Self. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ledbetter, A. M., Mazer, J. P., DeGroot, J. M., Meyer, K. R., Yuping, M., & Swafford, B.
(
2011)
Attitudes toward online social connection and self-disclosure as predictors of Facebook communication and relational closeness.
Communication Research, 38(1): 27–53.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Levin, B.
(
1993)
English Verb Class and Alternations: A Preliminary Investigation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Markham, A., Buchanan, E.
, & the AoIR Ethics Committee (
2012)
Ethical decision-making and internet research: Recommendations from the AoIR Ethics Working Committee (version 2.0). Retrieved from
[URL]
Moore, S.
(
2004)
Personality and intelligence. In
G. Davey (Ed.).
Complete Psychology (pp. 452–542). London: Hodder & Stoughton.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Myers, G.
(
2010a)
Discourse of Blogs and Wikis. New York: Continuum.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Myers, G.
(
2010b)
Stance-taking and public discussion in blogs.
Critical Discourse Studies, 7(4): 263–275.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nardi, A., Schiano, D. J., Gumbrecht, M., & Swartz, L.
(
2004)
Why we blog.
Communications of the ACM, 47(12): 41–46.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Niederhoffer, K. G., & Pennebaker, J. W.
(
2009)
Sharing one’s story: On the benefits of writing or talking about emotional experience. In
S. J. Lopez, &
C. R. Snyde (Eds.).
The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 621–632). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Qian, H., & Scott, C. R.
(
2007)
Anonymity and self-disclosure on weblogs.
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4): 1428–1451.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Schiffrin, H., Edelman, A., Falkenstern, M., & Stewart, C.
(
2010)
The associations among computer-mediated communication, relationships, and well-being.
Cyberpsychology, Behaviour, and Social Networking, 13(3): 299–306.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Stefanone, M., & Jang, C. Y.
(
2007)
Writing for friends and family: The interpersonal nature of blogs.
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1): 123–140.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Tang, J. -H., & Wang, C. -C.
(
2012)
Self-disclosure among bloggers: Re-examination of social penetration theory.
Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking, 15(5): 245–250.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Thurlow, C., & Mroczek, K.
(Eds.) (
2011)
Digital Discourse: Language in the New Media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
TIME Magazine
(
2014)
The 25 Best Bloggers, 2013 Edition. Retrieved from
[URL]
Vinson D. P., & Vigliocco, G.
(
2008)
Semantic feature production norms for a large set of objects and events.
Behaviour Research Methods, 40(1): 183–190.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Walton, C. S., & Rice, R. E.
(
2013)
Mediated disclosure on Twitter: The roles of gender and identity in boundary impermeability, valence, disclosure, and stage.
Computers in Human Behaviour, 29(4): 1465–1474.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (1)
Cited by 1 other publications
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 4 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.