A Systematic Literature Review on Professional Identity Construction in Social Media

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to gather, review, summarize, and analyze the studies on professional identity construction in social media from various scholar perspectives. The search was conducted on the WoS Core Collection, Scopus, and EBSCOhost databases using keywords “professional identity construction” and “social media.” Seventeen full-text articles were studied searching for the essential aspects of professional identity construction. Results discussed professional identity as a complex phenomenon with two dominating perspectives: (a) professional identity as a cognitive structure and (b) professional identity as a social construct. Cognitive structures of professional identity construction in social media were mainly or partially covered in education, communication, medicine, and medical tourism-related contexts. Studies that envisage professional identity as socially constructed dominate in management, organizational, medical tourism, and neuroscience. The core topics of professional identity construction cover the blurring of professional stereotypes and reconstruction of multiple professional selves; merging public and private identities; belonging to a group and trusting social media. In researched papers, scholars argue virtual behavior can be predicted and smart technologies could help maintain physical and psychological balance. Findings show the overlapping landscape of studies and identify areas for future interdisciplinary research.