Self-representation through social network status messages: Psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic and gender aspects

Abstract

The article reveals the issues of expanded understanding of self-presentation viewed as an integral compo-nent of any communicative act, as the socio-cultural behaviour, and also as a means of controlling the im-pression a person makes on others in the process of interaction. As communication through social networks is becoming an increasingly common element of modern culture, it is thus becoming an increasingly impor-tant means of self-representation. By looking into people’s status messages on social networks one can iden-tify the main cultural aspects used in the process of their self-presentation. By analysing status messages pos-ted on social networks, the study reveals the approaches to self-presentation used by people of different age and sex groups. The article presents an analysis of gender and age characteristics of the use of self-presenta-tion tactics and reveals differences in the choice of topics for the status messages.