Abstract
This thesis introduces Subrealism as a conceptual framework for understanding how digital platforms reshape identity, by mediating the interplay between online and offline selves. Subrealism describes the condition in which curated digital personas and embodied realities coexist in a dynamic, negotiated relationship — neither collapsing into one (as in hyperreality) nor remaining entirely separate, but hybridizing into fluid, performative selfhoods.
Drawing on philosophical foundations from Kant, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, Derrida, Baudrillard, Debord, Foucault, and Latour, the study integrates classical theory with contemporary digital environments. Subrealism is operationalized through four indicators: media-induced hyperreality, identity fragmentation, spectacle effects, and network dynamics. A mixed-methods approach — combining interviews, content analysis, and survey data — examines how these indicators manifest across three platforms: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Findings show that Instagram amplifies hyperreality through visual curation, TikTok intensifies spectacle and performance fatigue through algorithmic trend cycles, and YouTube highlights network dynamics through monetization systems and curated authenticity. Across all platforms, identity fragmentation emerges as a persistent outcome, raising psychological, cultural, and ethical concerns.
Subrealism is articulated here as an integrative lens bridging media studies, philosophy, sociology, and psychology. Practically, it highlights design interventions (algorithmic transparency, authenticity-supporting features), creator strategies (persona audits, platform diversification), and digital literacy practices as pathways to healthier identity negotiation. Ultimately, it reframes digital identity as a continuous negotiation between representation and embodiment, revealing both the risks of hypercuration and the possibilities for creativity, connection, and a more balanced engagement in the platform era.
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
1.1 Background and Rationale
In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital communication, the boundaries between offline and online identity have become increasingly porous. Social media platforms now serve not merely as tools for interaction, but as dynamic environments in which individuals construct, curate, and perform different versions of themselves. This study proposes Subrealism as a conceptual framework for understanding how subjective realities are mediated, negotiated, and hybridized through these platforms, describing the continuous interplay between a person’s online, curated persona and their embodied, offline identity, with each influencing and reshaping the other in ways that distort the line between representation and lived experience.
While traditional sociological approaches have examined identity in discrete domains — such as the self as performed in public versus private spaces — the proliferation of networked media has rendered such divisions increasingly inadequate. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube create ecosystems where identity is continuously curated, monitored, and reshaped by algorithms, audience feedback, and platform affordances. Subrealism addresses this emergent condition, offering a lens to analyze how these forces converge to produce hybridized identities that are performative, iterative, and deeply entangled with the infrastructures of digital capitalism (Zuboff, 2019).
The central aim here is to articulate Subrealism as both a theoretical construct and an analytical tool for examining contemporary digital identity. Positioned at the intersection of digital sociology, media studies, and platform studies, this work bridges disciplinary gaps and provides a coherent vocabulary for describing the hybrid realities individuals inhabit. The analysis draws on a mixed-methods approach — combining qualitative interviews, ethnographic observation, content analysis, and survey-based quantitative analysis — to explore how identity is constructed, maintained, and transformed across both online and offline contexts.
1.2 Defining Core Concepts
To provide a rigorous analysis of Subrealism, it is essential to define the key concepts underpinning this research. These concise definitions serve as the conceptual foundation for the arguments developed in later chapters.
1.2.1 Subjective Reality
An individual’s personally constructed interpretation of the world, shaped by cultural background, psychological predispositions, and lived experiences. In both mediated and face-to-face contexts, this fluid perception underpins the creation of online personas, where selected traits may be amplified, suppressed, or reframed for public display. This concept is central to understanding how individuals negotiate identity between offline experiences and online self-presentation (see Section 2.4).
1.2.2 Subrealism
The condition in which a person’s curated online persona and embodied offline identity coexist in a dynamic, ongoing relationship. Rather than merging into a single self, these parallel realities intersect in ways that may amplify contradictions, distort narratives, and complicate a cohesive sense of identity. Subrealism foregrounds negotiation and feedback between these identities, shaped by both human agency and platform architectures — a framing that distinguishes it from hyperreality, which implies a collapse of reality into representation (see Sections 2.7 and 4.1).
1.2.3 Hypercuration
The process of meticulously crafting an online persona through selective amplification of certain attributes and suppression of others. Intensified by algorithmic filtering and reinforced through social validation mechanisms (likes, comments, shares), hypercuration is a continuous optimization process that aligns identity with audience expectations and platform metrics. This iterative cycle can deepen the disconnect between digital and offline selves, influencing behaviors in both domains (see Section 3.3.1).
1.2.4 The Role of Social Media
Platforms function as both stage and architect for Subrealism. They do more than host content — they actively shape digital sub-realities by privileging engagement over authenticity through algorithmic ranking, notifications, and interface design. By rewarding attention-optimized content, these platforms accelerate hypercuration and reinforce the divergence between online representation and offline identity, producing the very conditions under which Subrealism emerges (see Sections 4.3 and 5.2).
1.3 Research Questions and Study Statement
Research Questions
- How does Subrealism shape personal identity construction through the performative behaviors encouraged by social media platforms?
- In what ways does Subrealism influences the psychological and emotional dimensions of self-representation across multiple digital ecosystems?
- How do social media platforms contribute to the growing fragmentation between online and offline selves, when examined through the framework of Subrealism?
Study Statement: In alignment with these questions, this thesis advances Subrealism as a conceptual framework for examining identity fragmentation in a world increasingly shaped by digital interactions. By synthesizing elements of classical philosophical thought with the empirical realities of contemporary social media, the analysis investigates how online self-presentation intensifies the divide between virtual and offline selves. Through this lens, Subrealism serves as a critical and analytically precise tool for assessing the emotional, psychological, and social consequences of digital selfhood in the platform era. In doing so, this research offers new insights into how authenticity, identity, and social engagement are continually renegotiated in the context of platform-driven hypercuration (see Chapter 3).
1.4 Methodological Overview
This study employs a mixed-methods design, combining qualitative interviews with quantitative data analysis, to examine how individuals construct and navigate fragmented identities in both online and offline contexts. This integration of rich, contextual insights with measurable patterns enables a multi-layered understanding of Subrealism in practice (see Chapter 3).
Justification for Mixed-Methods Approach: The approach was designed to capture both personal, experience-based accounts (qualitative) and broader, transferable patterns (quantitative) related to Subrealism. Qualitative interviews offer deep insight into subjective experience and identity negotiation, while quantitative analysis reveals trends and correlations across a more diverse sample. While this combination enhances interpretive depth and broader applicability, it carries limitations — notably the potential for interpretive bias in open-ended responses and the challenge of integrating disparate data types. Nonetheless, it is essential for exploring the complexity of identity construction under conditions of platform-driven hypercuration (see Sections 3.2–3.4).
Platform Selection: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube were chosen for their distinct yet complementary contributions to digital identity formation within the context of Subrealism. Instagram foregrounds aesthetic curation through visual content, TikTok drives performative identity via trend-based, algorithmically surfaced short videos, and YouTube enables long-form persona development, supporting sustained narrative construction and audience engagement. These platforms together provide a manageable scope for empirical study while representing diverse modalities of self-presentation. The focus is deliberately narrow to enable depth of analysis, but future research should extend the framework to emerging spaces — such as immersive virtual reality, decentralized networks, and other algorithmically mediated ecosystems — to evaluate how Subrealism functions in rapidly evolving technological and cultural landscapes (see Section 5.3).
1.5 Significance and Contribution
By bridging media studies, philosophy, and psychology, this work offers fresh insights into how online and offline identities coexist, interact, and continually reshape one another. It advances scholarly understanding of Subrealism as a lens for analyzing identity formation under conditions shaped by platform-driven hypercuration (see Chapters 4 and 5).
Broader Implications: Beyond academic scope, it deepens our understanding of how societal notions of identity may evolve in increasingly mediated environments. The findings suggest that Subrealism will significantly shape how future generations construct personality and perceive reality. They will inevitably influence both individual self-concepts and the collective identities of communities. As communication technologies continue to structure human interaction, they will also affect the trajectory of digital culture and social behavior (see Section 5.3). Recognizing the implications of Subrealism is therefore critical not only for academic discourse but also for anticipating long-term cultural and social transformations.
Interdisciplinary Impact: While situated primarily within digital media studies, philosophy, and psychology, the present framework has relevance for sociology, cultural studies, and economics. The economic incentives driving social media platforms to promote Subrealism — such as influencer–brand partnerships and algorithmic promotion of marketable personas — may have measurable effects on consumer culture and market behavior. From a sociological perspective, Subrealism could redefine how online spaces mediate social interaction and collective identity formation, contributing to shifts in societal norms and cultural values. These interdisciplinary connections open avenues for further research across both the social sciences and the humanities.
CHAPTER 2: Literature Review
2.1 Philosophical Foundations of Subjective Reality
2.1.1 Immanuel Kant: The Framework of Perception
Immanuel Kant’s philosophy provides a foundational understanding of subjective reality, a central theme in this study. According to Kant, our knowledge of the world is interpreted by the inherent categories of the human mind (categories of understanding) rather than being a direct reflection of external objects. This insight is critical for understanding how new media platforms shape perceptions and create realities that diverge from objective truth.
In the context of Subrealism, Kant’s work elucidates how individuals navigate and interpret environments where interfaces and algorithms mediate human interaction. By recognizing that reality is actively constructed, not passively mirrored, we can better grasp how digital infrastructures alter engagement and identity.
Ultimately, Kant’s framework underscores a key principle in Subrealism: the curated digital self emerges within mental structures already predisposed to interpret experience selectively, making algorithmic mediation a natural amplifier of subjective reality.
2.1.2 Maurice Merleau-Ponty: The Embodied Self and Perception
Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology highlights that perception is rooted in bodily experience, where physical engagement with the world fundamentally shapes how we understand reality. In digital spaces, the absence of tangible interaction can produce fragmented or distorted perceptions.
For Merleau-Ponty, perception is always embodied — the body is not merely a vessel for experience but the primary medium through which we make sense of the world. His exploration of embodiment offers valuable insight into how online interaction, lacking direct physical presence, can weaken the coherence of identity. This division — the split between one’s online persona and real-world existence — is central to Subrealism, highlighting the binary tension between the virtual self and embodied experience.
In Subrealist terms, Merleau-Ponty’s work shows that when the body is absent from an interaction, perception becomes more easily shaped by mediated cues and self-curated imagery, intensifying the dissonance between online and offline selves.
2.2 Identity Construction and Fragmentation
2.2.1 Jean-Paul Sartre: Existentialism and Identity Construction
Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist philosophy, particularly his concept of bad faith, is integral to understanding identity construction within Subrealism. Sartre asserts that existence precedes essence, meaning individuals are responsible for creating themselves through their choices and actions. His focus on the psychological tensions inherent in bad faith, offers a compelling framework for examining the fracture between online and offline identities.
Within this framework, hypercuration becomes a key process: individuals meticulously craft their online personas to meet perceived social expectations, often producing a marked divergence from their authentic offline selves. This ongoing reshaping of the digital self exemplifies Sartre’s bad faith, where people deny the authenticity of lived experience in favor of representations conforming to societal norms.
In Subrealism, Sartre’s bad faith illuminates the self-deceptive element in hypercuration: individuals knowingly stage a curated version of themselves to align with audience and platform expectations, yet internalize this performance as authentic. This dual move — acting under the guise of free choice while constrained by algorithmic ranking systems, platform affordances, and trend cycles — intensifies the split between the lived self and the displayed self. For example, an influencer may consciously adopt trending aesthetics or hashtags to fit audience expectations while persuading themselves that this is an expression of personal authenticity.
By acknowledging these structural constraints alongside Sartre’s emphasis on agency, Subrealism bridges existential freedom with the systemic shaping of self-construction, opening a pathway to later analyses informed by Foucault’s surveillance and Latour’s Actor-Network Theory.
2.2.2 Jacques Derrida: Deconstruction and Identity Fragmentation
Jacques Derrida’s philosophy of deconstruction provides a powerful lens for analyzing the instability and fragmentation of digital identities. His concept of différance — the idea that meaning is always deferred and never fully present — applies directly to identity construction in virtual spaces.
In online contexts, the self is perpetually reassembled through a shifting network of signifiers, which in digital culture may take the form of hashtags, profile bios, meme templates, video trends, or algorithmically surfaced content. Each iteration adjusts its meaning based on audience, context, and the logic of platform visibility. This constant deferral of a “true” self is a hallmark of Subrealism, where multiple self-representations coexist, each shaped by different digital environments.
For Subrealism, Derrida’s différance clarifies why online identities feel fluid and unstable: the meaning of the digital self shifts with each algorithmic presentation, trending signifier, and audience composition. In fact, this instability is not merely an unintended byproduct but a productive condition — platforms benefit from keeping identity in a state of “productive incompletion,” ensuring continual user engagement and the need for ongoing self-representation. In this way, Derrida’s insights illuminate how Subrealism thrives in a media environment where identity is designed to remain in motion rather than settle into coherence.
2.3 Reality and Simulation
2.3.1 Jean Baudrillard: Hyperreality and the Blurring of Reality
Jean Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality is crucial for understanding Subrealism. In a hyperreal world, the distinction between reality and simulation becomes increasingly blurred, leading individuals to experience representations that can exert more influence than lived experience itself. Social media platforms — with their curated feeds, algorithmic recommendations, and emphasis on polished imagery — are prime examples of hyperreal environments. Here, representations of the self are often enhanced through filters, selective editing, and staged scenarios, creating an aesthetic and narrative layer that can overshadow the physical self.
Subrealism diverges from hyperreality by emphasizing not a total collapse between the real and the simulated, but the coexistence and constant negotiation between digital and physical identities. The virtual and the physical remain distinct yet interdependent, each influencing the other’s meaning and form. For example, an ‘alpha-lifestyle’ coach may project effortless success with women and business—sizzle reels of luxury dates, ‘seven-figure’ dashboards, and certainty-laden advice—while offline he faces debt, sporadic gigs, and strained relationships. The persona does not replace that reality; it reframes it, prompting rentals for cars and apartments, contracted models for staged dinners and shoots, and selectively edited screenshots to manufacture the proof he prescribes to others. This recursive loop—where spending, schedules, and even friendships are reorganized to keep the story coherent despite contradicting his own counsel—exemplifies Subrealism’s mutual-shaping dynamic.
Baudrillard’s hyperreality explains how the idealized self-image becomes an active participant in identity formation, shaped and amplified by platform logics that reward and prioritize certain aesthetics and narratives. This identity is not merely a mask but a competitive presence that reshapes the embodied self to maintain coherence with its digital counterpart. This framing naturally sets the stage for Guy Debord’s concept of the Spectacle, which extends the power of representation from shaping perception to structuring the very social relations in which identity is enacted.
2.4 The Spectacle and Mediated Experience
2.4.1 Guy Debord: The Society of the Spectacle
Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle offers a critical framework for understanding how representation evolves from influencing perception (as in Baudrillard’s hyperreality) to organizing social life itself. Debord argues that modern society is dominated by the Spectacle — an accumulation of images that mediates relationships, defines experiences, and distorts reality.
In the digital era, social media platforms are archetypal manifestations of the Spectacle. They are not merely collections of images but highly structured systems where algorithms, engagement metrics, and aesthetic conventions determine which images rise to prominence. The Spectacle operates here as a structural logic: visibility becomes currency, and representation becomes the primary way of participating in social life — a condition enforced not only by cultural norms but also by platform architectures themselves.
Within Subrealism, the Spectacle’s function is intensified. Individuals do not simply project curated versions of themselves — they must continually perform and update these versions to remain visible in a competitive attention economy. This constant projection accelerates identity fragmentation, as the “performed self” shifts to match algorithmic trends and audience preferences. For example, a content creator may adapt their tone, aesthetics, or posting rhythm to align with platform conventions, often at the expense of their original self-representation.
The Spectacle also reinforces the feedback loop introduced in Section 2.3.1: idealized images influence offline behavior, which is then reintegrated into the curated persona. This loop is reciprocal — user behaviors shape platform design, as algorithms and features evolve in response to what generates engagement. In this way, the Spectacle does not simply mask reality; it reorganizes it, making image-production and image-consumption the central modes of social participation.
This interpretation of Debord prepares the ground for the next sections on Foucault and Latour, where the focus shifts from representation and visibility to the underlying mechanisms — surveillance and network agency — that sustain and enforce these conditions within Subrealism.
2.5 Power, Surveillance, and Identity
2.5.1 Michel Foucault: Power, Surveillance, and Digital Identities
Michel Foucault’s exploration of power and surveillance provides a critical lens for understanding how identity is regulated and shaped in the digital era. His concept of the Panopticon — a structure of constant observation in which individuals internalize the gaze of authority — resonates strongly with social media environments. Here, the “watchtower” is no longer a single observer but a dispersed network of peers, followers, brands, and algorithmic systems, all capable of influencing how one is seen.
In Subrealism’s terms, surveillance extends beyond passive monitoring into active modulation of identity. Platforms harvest vast datasets on user behavior — a process of datafication — and feed them back through algorithmic curation that shapes what users see, how they engage, and even what they aspire to become. This transforms surveillance into a form of governance, normalizing certain performances while marginalizing others, and embedding visibility norms into the architecture of the platforms themselves.
Unlike Debord’s Spectacle, which centers on representation as the organizing principle of social life, Foucault’s theory highlights the enforcement mechanisms that sustain this visibility imperative. The curated self is not merely a personal choice or cultural trend; it is the product of structural pressures that reward compliance with dominant aesthetics and penalize deviation.
The influencer economy illustrates this clearly: creators who stray from their established niche often see their reach shrink, engagement drop, and sponsorships decline — a rapid feedback loop that narrows the range of acceptable self-presentations. Crucially, this discipline is internalized: users regulate themselves to fit platform expectations even without direct intervention, mirroring Foucault’s vision of self-surveillance.
For Subrealism, this means that identity fragmentation is not solely the result of voluntary hypercuration but also of disciplinary forces embedded in the digital infrastructure. The Panopticon has become participatory — users both watch and are watched, reinforcing the same norms the system promotes. This dynamic sets the stage for Latour’s Actor-Network Theory, where platforms function not only as environments of control but as active agents shaping the construction and negotiation of subrealistic identities.
2.6 Agency in Digital Networks
2.6.1 Bruno Latour: Actor-Network Theory and the Agency of Digital Platforms
Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network Theory (ANT) expands the analysis of social life by recognizing that agency is distributed among both human and non-human actors. In this framework, technologies, infrastructures, and systems are not passive tools; they actively participate in shaping outcomes alongside human decisions.
In the context of Subrealism, ANT reframes digital platforms as co-authors of identity. Algorithms, interface designs, and platform policies operate as actors within vast socio-technical networks, influencing which identities are visible, how they are expressed, and which behaviors are rewarded. This perspective builds naturally on Foucault’s focus on surveillance and discipline: while Foucault highlights the enforcement of visibility norms, Latour reveals how agency itself is shared between people and the technologies they inhabit.
For example, TikTok’s “For You” feed does more than reflect user preferences; it actively shapes them, introducing aesthetic norms and content rhythms that users adapt to, in order to gain visibility. In Subrealist terms, this co-production of identity means that the curated self is never the product of human intention alone but emerges from a negotiation between personal expression and the affordances, constraints, and priorities of the platform.
Positioned here, ANT shows that the fragmentation and hybridization of identity in Subrealism are not only socially and culturally conditioned but also technologically enacted. This understanding prepares the ground for the contemporary critiques in Section 2.7, which examine the political economy, visibility pressures, and ethical stakes of living within such distributed networks of influence.
2.7 Contemporary Interpretations and Critiques
2.7.1 Shoshana Zuboff: Surveillance Capitalism and the Commodification of Identity
Shoshana Zuboff’s concept of surveillance capitalism exposes the economic engine driving much of the digital ecosystem in which Subrealism unfolds. She argues that user data — including behavioral patterns, preferences, and interactions — is harvested and transformed into a commercial asset, sold to advertisers, and used to shape future behavior. This process extends beyond passive monitoring into the systematic datafication of identity, in which personal expression becomes raw material for profit.
In this model, platforms are not simply spaces for communication but extraction infrastructures. Every post, like, and click feeds predictive systems that not only anticipate but also influence what users will do next. Engagement serves a dual economic role: it monetizes attention directly through targeted advertising; indirectly, it shapes the types of content users produce in pursuit of higher visibility and monetization opportunities. The curated self thus becomes a brand-compatible persona, optimized simultaneously for in-platform reach and advertiser value.
From a Subrealist perspective, surveillance capitalism does more than commodify identity — it actively shapes it. By privileging engagement-driving content, platforms amplify certain representations while suppressing others through algorithmic deprioritization, advertiser keyword blacklists, and brand safety filters. For example, creators whose work aligns with trending, advertiser-approved aesthetics may receive algorithmic boosts and sponsorship offers, while those producing politically sensitive, subcultural, or less polished content risk demonetization or invisibility.
Zuboff’s framework deepens the structural dimension of Subrealism introduced in Foucault (surveillance) and Latour (distributed agency), showing that fragmentation and hybridization of identity occur within an economic logic of extraction. Under surveillance capitalism, self-presentation is mediated, disciplined, and monetized — binding the performance of identity directly to market forces. This sets the stage for Byung-Chul Han’s analysis of the cultural and psychological pressures of visibility.
2.7.2 Byung-Chul Han: The Transparency Society and the Culture of Visibility
Byung-Chul Han’s critique of The Transparency Society examines how the imperative for openness and constant visibility, reshape individual behavior and social norms. He argues that the erosion of boundaries between public and private life fosters a culture of self-exploitation disguised as self-expression, in which individuals willingly participate in their own exposure. This condition is particularly pronounced within Western neoliberal transparency culture, though its manifestations can vary across cultural contexts — a nuance important to understanding Subrealism’s potential cross-cultural dynamics.
In Subrealism, the visibility imperative becomes a defining driver of hypercuration. Personal worth is increasingly measured through public exposure, quantified by metrics such as likes, views, and follower counts. This compulsion operates through internalized norms rather than overt coercion: users maintain an “always-on” presence to remain visible and relevant, a state that can be understood as a form of temporal colonization, in which the demand for perpetual self-presentation occupies time that might otherwise allow for personal rest, privacy, or moments of unperformed identity. Here, Han’s focus differs from Foucault’s enforcement of visibility norms and Zuboff’s market-driven performance pressures — transparency culture normalizes exposure itself as a moral and social good, recasting self-revelation as authenticity while paradoxically undermining it.
Han’s Culture of Visibility compounds the identity fragmentation described earlier. Where surveillance capitalism monetizes identity and enforces brand-compatible aesthetics, transparency culture demands the self be perpetually accessible. The result is a feedback loop in which individuals curate content not only to satisfy algorithms and advertisers but also to meet cultural expectations of constant self-disclosure, blurring the line between genuine connection and performative presence.
Examples include livestreaming platforms and “stories” features on Instagram or TikTok, which create temporal urgency and condition users to share updates in real time to avoid perceived invisibility. In Subrealist terms, these affordances accelerate the collapse of recovery time between performances of the digital self, reducing opportunities for reflective identity coherence.
Han’s framework adds a cultural and psychological dimension to the structural and economic mechanisms outlined by earlier theorists. It highlights that Subrealism’s identity fragmentation is sustained not only by technological systems and market incentives, but also by social norms that valorize constant self-exposure and equate visibility with worth. This prepares the ground for Evgeny Morozov’s critique of digital optimism and the political implications of these dynamics.
2.7.3 Evgeny Morozov: The Net Delusion and the Risks of Digital Optimism
Evgeny Morozov’s The Net Delusion critiques the belief that digital technologies inherently foster freedom, democracy, and social progress. He argues that this digital optimism overlooks how platforms can be co-opted to reinforce existing power structures, enable new forms of control, and deepen social inequalities. The same tools celebrated for empowering users can also be deployed to surveil, manipulate, and polarize.
In the context of Subrealism, Morozov’s work shifts the lens from Han’s cultural critique and Zuboff’s economic analysis to the political and ideological dimensions of digital life. If transparency culture normalizes self-exposure and surveillance capitalism monetizes identity, digital optimism legitimizes both by framing them as participatory empowerment. This ideological framing uses the language of participation, empowerment, and democratization to mask systemic control, making it appear benevolent and encouraging voluntary compliance — even when it fragments identities and consolidates platform power.
For example, recommendation algorithms designed to maximize engagement can push users into ideological echo chambers, narrowing the perspectives they encounter. This not only shapes political beliefs but also influences online self-presentation, encouraging conformity to group norms and suppressing alternative facets of identity. In Subrealistic terms, such echo chambers actively construct subjective realities in which the hybrid self is curated within a politicized narrative, aligning personal identity with the dominant logic of the group and filtering out dissonant experiences.
Morozov’s framework adds a critical political layer to the Subrealism model, showing that the hybridization of subjective reality occurs within contested ideological terrain. This sets the stage for Manuel Castells’s exploration of networked power, extending the discussion from individual identity construction to the structural reconfiguration of society itself.
2.7.4 Manuel Castells: The Network Society and Power in the Digital Age
Manuel Castells’s theory of the Network Society examines how the organization of social, economic, and political life has been reshaped by networked forms of communication and information exchange. In this structure, power depends on controlling the flows of information across global networks. Those who manage these flows can shape institutions, economies, norms, agendas, and identities alike.
In Subrealism, Castells’s framework extends Morozov’s political critique into the structural domain. If digital optimism legitimizes control and surveillance capitalism monetizes identity, the network society determines who controls the channels through which identities are formed, circulated, and contested. This shifts the focus from the content of identity to the architecture and governance of the systems — content moderation, data routing, protocol design — that mediate identity itself. In Castells’s terms, power is exercised through inclusion or exclusion from these flows, determining which identities are granted visibility and which are rendered invisible.
For individuals, identity construction occurs in an environment where algorithms, platforms, states, and corporate actors all exert influence. Control over network architecture determines what forms of self-presentation are amplified, suppressed, or erased entirely. In Subrealistic terms, the fragmentation and hybridization of identity are not only cultural or economic outcomes but structural features of networked power.
Geopolitical disputes over platform governance — such as state-imposed content restrictions or the segmentation of social media ecosystems — alter which narratives, aesthetics, and identity performances are visible to different populations. These interventions shape not only what people see but also the possible configurations of subjective reality available within a networked context.
Castells’s theory thus positions Subrealism within a global framework of competing political, economic, and cultural forces. It closes the Contemporary Critiques section by linking identity fragmentation to the structural transformations of the digital age, setting the stage for Chapter 3’s integration of these theories into Subrealism’s operational framework.
CHAPTER 3: Theoretical Framework and Operationalization
3.1 Introduction to the Theoretical Framework
Building on Chapter 1’s core concepts and methods, as well as Chapter 2’s philosophical and socio-technical foundations, this chapter assembles the theoretical framework for Subrealism. We integrate four theoretical traditions—Baudrillard’s hyperreality (virtual simulations perceived as more real than lived experience), Debord’s spectacle (image-driven mediation of social life), Foucault’s surveillance (self-regulation under constant observation), and Latour’s actor-network theory (shared agency between humans and technologies)—to explain how platformized media, meaning social platforms whose algorithmic and economic structures actively shape content and interaction, co-produce subjective reality and differentiate self-concepts across digital and embodied contexts.
Section 3.2 synthesizes these perspectives into a coherent lens for analyzing Subrealism. Section 3.3 translates them into four operational indicators—media-induced hyperreality (digital extensions of the self that are perceived as more influential than offline reality), identity fragmentation (divergence between online and offline personas), spectacle effects (social behaviors shaped by image-centric interactions), and network dynamics (algorithmic and structural forces shaping identity)—while Section 3.4 links these indicators to the mixed-methods design introduced in Chapter 1. This framework will be tested and illustrated through the empirical analysis in the subsequent chapters, enabling a detailed examination of how online interactions modulate both individual self-perception and broader social patterns.
3.2 Theoretical Integration
This section integrates the concept of Subrealism with the key theories outlined in Chapter 2, showing how their combined insights create a multi-layered analytical lens. The focus here is not to reintroduce these theories in full, but to adapt their most relevant elements to the study’s aims, linking them directly to the operational indicators in Section 3.3.
3.2.1 Baudrillard’s Hyperreality and Subrealism
As detailed in Section 2.3.1, Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality describes the collapse of boundaries between representation and reality, where simulations can exert more influence on perception than lived experience itself. In the context of Subrealism, hyperreality explains how hypercurated digital personas— shaped by filters, editing choices, and algorithmic visibility—come to dominate one’s sense of authenticity. This dominance carries a paradox: the constructed, performative self may feel more “real” and emotionally salient than the embodied self it ostensibly represents.
Link to operationalization: In Section 3.3.1, media-induced hyperreality is measured through the extent to which participants perceive their digital representations as more defining or authentic than their physical selves.
3.2.2 Debord’s Spectacle and Subrealism
Section 2.4.1 presented Debord’s spectacle as a social order where life is mediated through images and appearances, that dictate the terms of participation in society. Within Subrealism, the spectacle reveals how platforms prioritize visibility over substance, enforcing an attention economy where engagement metrics replace direct human interaction, as the basis for social validation. This image-centric mediation deepens the split between digital and offline identities by rewarding performative over authentic self-presentation.
Link to operationalization: In Section 3.3.3, spectacle effects are assessed by analyzing how participants behaviors and perceptions of relevance, are shaped by image-based interactions and algorithmically elevated trends.
3.2.3 Foucault’s Surveillance and Subrealism
As explored in Section 2.5.1, Foucault’s concept of the Panopticon demonstrates how constant observation leads individuals to regulate themselves in line with perceived norms. In Subrealism, this surveillance is participatory: users not only adapt their behavior under the watch of algorithms, peers, and audiences, but also willingly engage in practices of self-display while also monitoring others. This creates a feedback loop where visibility is both sought and policed, reinforcing the construction and maintenance of fragmented online identities.
Link to operationalization: In Section 3.3.2, identity fragmentation is examined partly through the influence of surveillance—how constant and voluntary visibility pressures encourage divergence between online and offline selves.
3.2.4 Latour’s Actor-Network Theory and Subrealism
Section 2.6.1 introduced Latour’s actor-network theory (ANT) as a way to understand how agency is distributed across human and technological actors. In Subrealism, ANT highlights how platforms, algorithms, interface designs, and users co-produce identity through iterative feedback loops. Crucially, these infrastructural logics are not neutral: they embed economic, cultural, and technical biases that actively shape what forms of self-expression are possible and visible. This means identity formation is not solely a matter of personal choice, but the negotiated outcome of interacting with system architectures that have built-in incentives and constraints.
Link to operationalization: In Section 3.3.4, network dynamics are measured by identifying how algorithmic systems and socio-technical structures mediate the expression, visibility, and evolution of hybrid identities.
Integrative Synthesis
Together, these four perspectives form a layered framework for understanding Subrealism: Baudrillard describes the content of digital identity as hyperreal; Debord explains the social structure that elevates these representations; Foucault reveals the disciplinary mechanisms—both imposed and voluntarily embraced—that sustain them; and Latour uncovers the distributed, non-neutral agency that co-produces them. In combination, they allow us to examine how identity fragmentation arises not from a single cause but from the intersection of cultural, structural, and technological forces. This synthesis directly informs the operational indicators in Section 3.3, ensuring they capture the full complexity of identity construction in the platform era.
3.3 Operationalizing Subrealism
To investigate Subrealism empirically, we translate the theoretical foundations outlined in Section 3.2 into four operational indicators. Each indicator isolates a key dimension of Subrealism, links it to specific theoretical roots, and defines how it will be identified and measured in the study. This approach ensures that the empirical analysis in Chapters 4 and 5, directly reflects the multi-dimensional nature of Subrealism, while remaining methodologically rigorous. Findings for each indicator will be triangulated across qualitative interviews, content analysis, and quantitative measures (e.g., survey responses, platform interaction data) to strengthen their validity.
3.3.1 Media-Induced Hyperreality
Definition: The condition in which an individual perceives their curated digital self to be more authentic, influential, or emotionally salient than their embodied offline identity.
Theoretical basis: Derived from Baudrillard’s hyperreality (Section 3.2.1), emphasizing the paradox that simulations can become more “real” than lived experience.
Empirical application: Measured through interview narratives, content analysis, and survey items identifying perceptions where the online persona shapes self-perception, emotional investment, or decision-making more strongly than offline experiences.
Behavioral cues include making lifestyle or career choices based on anticipated online reception, adjusting routines to align with content creation schedules, or prioritizing digital milestones over offline achievements.
3.3.2 Identity Fragmentation
Definition: The divergence between an individual’s online and offline identities, resulting in inconsistent or conflicting self-representations.
Theoretical basis: Primarily informed by Foucault’s surveillance (Section 3.2.3), with supplementary influence from Baudrillard’s hyperreality and Debord’s spectacle.
Empirical application: Identified through discrepancies between self-descriptions across contexts and platforms, as well as observable behavior offline.
Behavioral cues include compartmentalization of personas, switching tone or style between platforms, or consciously omitting offline experiences from online presentation.
3.3.3 Spectacle Effects
Definition: The influence of image-centric mediation and platform visibility logics on the norms, trends, and value systems guiding self-presentation.
Theoretical basis: Grounded in Debord’s spectacle (Section 3.2.2), with contributions from Foucault’s surveillance in explaining the performative discipline of maintaining visibility.
Empirical application: Measured by identifying how participants prioritize content creation and self-presentation strategies to align with platform metrics, trending aesthetics, or algorithmically elevated topics.
Behavioral cues include self-censorship to maintain a particular image, altering appearance to match popular trends, or engaging in content strategies aimed primarily at maximizing reach, rather than authentic expression.
3.3.4 Network Dynamics
Definition: The interplay of human and non-human actors (platforms, algorithms, interfaces) in shaping the expression, visibility, and evolution of identity.
Theoretical basis: Rooted in Latour’s actor-network theory (Section 3.2.4), emphasizing the non-neutrality of infrastructural logics and their embedded economic, cultural, and technical biases.
Empirical application: Assessed through mapping how participants’ content and self-presentation practices are mediated by platform features, recommendation systems, and interface affordances.
Behavioral cues: Includes strategic content modification following an algorithm update, changing engagement tactics after a feature rollout, or adopting new platforms to maintain audience reach.
Summary of Indicators
These four indicators are analytically distinct but interdependent. Media-induced hyperreality and identity fragmentation address the content and coherence of identity; spectacle effects capture the structural and cultural mediation of visibility; and network dynamics describe the infrastructural and systemic conditions under which identity is developed. By including temporal shifts, observable behaviors, and multi-source data triangulation, this operationalization ensures that the empirical analysis in subsequent chapters captures Subrealism’s evolving and multifaceted nature.
3.4 Application to Empirical Analysis
The four operational indicators defined in Section 3.3 serve as both lenses for data collection and categories for analysis, ensuring a direct link between the theoretical synthesis in Section 3.2 and the empirical work that follows in Chapters 4 and 5. These indicators shape both how data will be gathered and how findings will be interpreted, maintaining theoretical coherence while testing the Subrealism framework against empirical evidence.
Integration with Mixed-Methods Design
As outlined in Chapter 1 (Section 1.4), this study employs a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative depth with quantitative breadth. Each indicator will be assessed through three complementary data sources:
- Qualitative interviews — Elicit detailed narratives that reveal participants’ perceptions, experiences, and behavioral cues related to each indicator.
- Content analysis of online activity — Systematically code participants’ public digital content (posts, videos, interactions) to identify patterns corresponding to the operational definitions.
- Quantitative measures — Use survey items and platform engagement metrics to capture frequency, intensity, and variation in indicator-related behaviors across a broader sample.
The use of triangulation strengthens validity by allowing comparisons between self-reported perceptions, observable behaviors, and measurable patterns.
Indicator–Method Mapping
- Media-Induced Hyperreality (Baudrillard) — Interviews explore perceptions of authenticity and emotional investment; content analysis identifies digital moments treated as more significant than offline events; quantitative metrics examine correlations between engagement levels, platform validation (likes, shares), and self-reported identity salience.
- Identity Fragmentation (Foucault, Baudrillard, Debord) — Interviews and self-reports examine perceived shifts in identity presentation; content analysis detects role-switching or compartmentalization across platforms; quantitative measures assess variability in identity descriptors, tone, or content type used in different contexts.
- Spectacle Effects (Debord, Foucault) — Interviews probe motivations for aligning with trends or visual norms; content analysis codes instances of visible conformity to platform aesthetics, trend adoption, or self-censorship; quantitative data measures the relationship between trend participation, content reach, and audience growth rates.
- Network Dynamics (Latour) — Interviews investigate awareness of platform infrastructure and adaptation to it; content analysis identifies behavioral patterns associated with platform policy or algorithm updates; quantitative measures analyze differences in visibility, engagement, or posting frequency by feature use and policy/algorithm context.
Analytical Process
Data from all three sources will be analyzed iteratively, with each indicator functioning as a thematic code. Qualitative and quantitative findings will be integrated in the discussion chapters, enabling cross-comparison of how each indicator manifests in both subjective narratives and measurable behaviors. This ensures that the operationalization of Subrealism is not only conceptually rigorous but also empirically grounded.
Looking ahead: Chapter 4 presents the findings for each indicator in turn, while Chapter 5 integrates these results to evaluate the Subrealism framework as a whole and discuss its broader theoretical and practical implications.
Chapter 3: Conclusion
This chapter has established the theoretical framework for Subrealism by integrating the perspectives of Baudrillard, Debord, Foucault, and Latour into a coherent analytical lens (Section 3.2). It then translated this synthesis into four operational indicators—media-induced hyperreality, identity fragmentation, spectacle effects, and network dynamics—each grounded in theory and defined for empirical measurement (Section 3.3). Finally, it outlined how these indicators will be applied within a mixed-methods design, ensuring a direct and systematic link between the study’s research questions (Section 1.3), its conceptual foundations, and its empirical execution (Section 3.4).
Here, Subrealism refers to the ongoing negotiation between digital and embodied selves in platformized media environments, shaped by cultural, structural, and technological forces. The work developed captures this multi-dimensional phenomenon, providing a robust basis for analyzing how the hybridization of reality impact’s identity formation. Chapter 4 applies this framework to empirical data, presenting findings for each indicator in turn and revealing how Subrealism manifests in lived digital experience—highlighting patterns, tensions, and unexpected dynamics that emerge from the interplay between theory and practice.
CHAPTER 4: Empirical Analysis of Subrealism Across Digital Platforms
4.1 Instagram: The Visual Culture of Identity
Introduction
Instagram plays a central role in shaping the interplay between digital and physical identities, driven by its emphasis on aesthetics, visual curation, and constant visibility. This environment is a prime site for media-induced hyperreality (see Section 3.3.1), spectacle effects (see Section 3.3.3), and identity fragmentation (see Section 3.3.2), where curated online representations often exert more influence than lived experiences. Platform affordances such as Stories, the Explore feed, and Reels actively structure what is visible, discoverable, and rewarded, reinforcing the algorithmic architecture described in network dynamics (see Section 3.3.4). Users frequently oscillate between their crafted digital personas and their embodied selves, producing identities that are both fragmented and interlinked.
Key Findings:
Data from Visual Culture on Instagram: The Impact of Image-Based Platforms on Identity and Self-Representation (Prata, 2022) highlights the following patterns:
- 65% of users report emotional strain in maintaining an ideal profile, particularly in relation to social validation mechanisms (likes, comments).
- 75% modify content to match platform aesthetic expectations, prioritizing visually polished and aspirational imagery.
- 70% use filters and editing tools regularly to refine personal appearance before posting.
- 80% adapt posts to optimize engagement (likes, comments, shares), aiming to boost visibility and maintain perceived influence.
These statistics demonstrate how Instagram’s aesthetic-centric culture and focus on interaction metrics shape user behavior. They highlight the psychological strain of maintaining an idealized profile, often through filters, content modification, and engagement-maximizing strategies.
Analysis
These patterns reveal strong alignment with Subrealism’s operational indicators:
- Media-Induced Hyperreality — The use of filters, editing tools, and aesthetic alignment demonstrates how curated images can be perceived as more “authentic” than the offline self, mirroring the hyperreal condition described in Section 3.3.1.
- Spectacle Effects — The dominance of image-based interaction and engagement-driven optimization illustrates how visibility logics shape user priorities, as outlined in Section 3.3.3.
- Identity Fragmentation — Emotional strain and the pressure to sustain an ideal profile reveal the widening gulf between the curated persona and the embodied self.
A particularly acute example is the public collapse of highly curated influencer identities. In some cases, individuals project an image of wealth, success, and influence—funded by unsustainable sponsorship deals or personal debt—and begin to live according to that projected reality. When financial or personal instability surfaces, the curated image fractures, often in full public view, exposing the stark dissonance between the hyperreal persona and the offline reality. This collapse can lead to paranoia, overcompensation in posting behavior, or complete withdrawal from the platform, illustrating the extreme consequences of identity fragmentation under the combined pressures of hyperreality and the spectacle.
Conclusion
Instagram’s visual culture reinforces Subrealism by rewarding hypercurated self-representations and sustaining them through both cultural norms and technical affordances. The most salient indicators on this platform are media-induced hyperreality, spectacle effects, and identity fragmentation, all of which intersect to deepen the separation between online and offline identities.
4.2 TikTok: Algorithmic Curation and Identity Performance
Introduction
TikTok’s algorithm-driven ecosystem exemplifies the dynamics of Subrealism, where digital and physical selves coexist yet remain in tension. The platform’s For You Page and trend-based content cycles amplify spectacle effects (see Section 3.3.3) and network dynamics (see Section 3.3.4) by rewarding alignment with rapidly shifting aesthetics and viral formats. TikTok’s algorithm functions as an active agent in shaping identity, steering content creation toward trends and aesthetics most likely to be amplified. These pressures contribute to identity fragmentation (see Section 3.3.2) as users adjust their self-presentation to maintain visibility metrics. Platform affordances — such as short-form looping videos, trending sounds, and Duet/Stitch features — inscribe algorithmic visibility incentives into the very architecture of user expression.
Key Findings
Data from Performative Selves on TikTok: The Role of Algorithmic Curation in Shaping Digital Identity (Prata, 2022) indicate:
- 50% of users frequently adjust their self-portrayal to fit trending formats.
- 45% of content aligns directly with trending themes, heavily influenced by algorithmic recommendations based on prior engagement.
- 55% of users experience psychological stress from sustaining a visible online persona, with average daily usage reaching 95 minutes.
- 70% of Gen Z TikTok users feel pressure to conform to popular trends, heightening identity fragmentation and dependence on the platform for self-representation.
These statistics illustrate TikTok’s intense role in shaping user identity, where algorithmic curation directly influences the content people produce and the personas they adopt. The rapid turnover of trends and the reward structures tied to them embed a performance imperative into everyday platform use.
Analysis
- Media-Induced Hyperreality — For some creators, the viral persona becomes emotionally more salient than their offline identity, shaping self-perception and life choices even when the content style is ephemeral (see Section 3.3.1).
- Spectacle Effects — TikTok’s algorithm elevates visually and thematically aligned content, encouraging creators to optimize for visibility rather than authenticity. Viral challenges and trending aesthetics function as spectacle drivers, shaping cultural norms of self-presentation.
- Network Dynamics — The For You Page, trending audio, and editing features represent non-human actors that co-author identity, steering content creation toward formats most likely to be amplified.
- Identity Fragmentation — The constant need to perform according to platform trends fosters a disconnect between one’s online persona and offline self, often leading to performance fatigue.
An example of this dynamic is the “overnight viral” phenomenon. A user may gain sudden fame through a single trending video and feel compelled to replicate that style repeatedly to satisfy both the algorithm and their audience. This can trap creators in a narrowly defined persona that diverges sharply from their offline identity. Over time, the pressure to maintain this constructed identity can lead to creative burnout, social anxiety, or complete withdrawal from the platform — reinforcing the fragmented, hyperreal self that Subrealism describes.
Conclusion
TikTok’s algorithmic infrastructure intertwines media-induced hyperreality, spectacle effects, network dynamics, and identity fragmentation, creating a performance-based feedback loop that sustains visibility while eroding the boundary between authentic and constructed selves. These high-intensity performance loops stand in contrast to Instagram’s visual curation and YouTube’s long-form persona building, a distinction explored further in Chapter 5.
4.3 YouTube: The Paradox of Curated Authenticity
Introduction
YouTube represents a distinct expression of Subrealism, where creators navigate the tension between sustained audience engagement and the maintenance of a relatable, “authentic” persona. The platform’s long-form content format, monetization systems, and recommendation algorithms foster media-induced hyperreality (see Section 3.3.1) by encouraging the construction of idealized self-narratives over time. Simultaneously, its emphasis on personal storytelling and visual accessibility generates spectacle effects (see Section 3.3.3) and contributes to identity fragmentation (see Section 3.3.2) as public and private selves increasingly overlap. YouTube’s affordances — channel subscriptions, algorithmic recommendations, livestreaming, and community features — act as active agents in the network dynamics (see Section 3.3.4) that shape what content and identities become visible.
Key Findings
Data from Curated Authenticity: The Dichotomy of Real and Performed Identities in YouTube Influencers (Prata, 2022) indicate:
- 65% of influencers report feeling pressure to balance authenticity with audience expectations, often modifying content to maintain a relatable yet polished appearance.
- 70% of viewers perceive YouTube personalities as more relatable and authentic than traditional celebrities, due to immersive storytelling and perceived accessibility.
- 55% of influencers acknowledge a clear divide between their public (projected) and private selves, though the demands of content creation often erode this boundary over time.
- 60% of creators feel constrained by platform algorithms, adjusting their content style for maximum visibility and engagement, effectively commodifying personal identity.
These statistics highlight the complex balance between authenticity and performance on YouTube, where creators work to maintain an approachable persona while optimizing content for algorithmic reach and monetization.
Analysis
- Media-Induced Hyperreality — The “authentic” self portrayed in vlogs and long-form narratives can, over time, become not only more significant but emotionally binding for the creator. This sustained persona influences decisions, self-concept, and even offline behavior to remain coherent with the curated identity (see Section 3.3.1).
- Spectacle Effects — The visual and narrative structure of YouTube content privileges shareable moments, emotional peaks, and aesthetic coherence, reinforcing audience engagement through carefully staged “real life” scenes (see Section 3.3.3).
- Network Dynamics — Algorithmic recommendations, monetization eligibility, and advertiser guidelines function as non-human actors, steering creators toward content styles that fit platform priorities (see Section 3.3.4). These pressures are inseparable from the monetization and advertiser-driven structures of the platform, reflecting the dynamics of surveillance capitalism described by Zuboff (see Section 2.7.1). Algorithmic prioritization of advertiser-friendly content commodifies the curated self, tying visibility and income potential directly to brand compatibility.
- Identity Fragmentation — The erosion of boundaries between public and private life is often gradual, with creators underestimating the personal toll until audience expectations begin to shape private identity itself. This process locks the creator into a sustained performance that keeps the authentic and constructed selves in constant negotiation (see Section 3.3.2).
A clear example of this paradox is the “daily life” vlog format. While marketed as a transparent look into the creator’s routine, these videos often omit mundane or undesirable moments, replacing them with selectively staged scenes that conform to an established brand identity. Over time, both creator and audience may treat this stylized portrayal as the creator’s “real” life, deepening the gap between the curated narrative and offline reality.
Chapter 4: Conclusion
Across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, Subrealism emerges not as a single uniform condition but as a spectrum of identity negotiation conditioned by platform culture, technical architecture, and economic incentives. The analysis revealed three distinct rhythms in the negotiation between online and offline selves: Instagram’s still-life aesthetic curation, TikTok’s volatile cycles of trend-driven performance, and YouTube’s serialized narratives of curated authenticity.
In all cases, the four operational indicators outlined in Chapter 3 — media-induced hyperreality, spectacle effects, identity fragmentation, and network dynamics — are present, though with differing intensities. Hyperreality is most pronounced on Instagram’s polished visual stage, while TikTok’s algorithmic culture exemplifies the force of network dynamics, and YouTube’s monetization systems entwine sustained identity work with the logics of surveillance capitalism. What unites them is their capacity to destabilize the coherence of selfhood by embedding performance and visibility into the everyday logic of interaction. Whether through the silent pull of algorithmic recommendation, the pursuit of aesthetic perfection, or the sustained enactment of a monetized personal brand, these platforms transform self-presentation from an occasional act into an ongoing obligation.
These findings point to the fluid but fragile nature of identity in the platform era and prepare the ground for the integrative discussion in Chapter 5. There, the theoretical implications, cultural consequences, and practical challenges of living within Subrealism — from the erosion of authenticity to the economic dependencies fostered by platform infrastructures — will be examined in full.
CHAPTER 5: Discussion and Conclusion
5.1 Introduction
This chapter synthesizes the empirical findings from Chapter 4 with the theoretical framework established in Chapter 3, providing a coherent view of how digital and physical selves interact under the conditions of Subrealism. By examining the manifestations of media-induced hyperreality, identity fragmentation, spectacle effects, and network dynamics across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, the discussion reveals both the common mechanisms and platform-specific variations that shape contemporary identity construction.
Rather than offering a purely descriptive account, the analysis revisits the philosophical foundations laid in Chapter 2—drawing on Baudrillard, Debord, Foucault, and Latour—as interdependent lenses through which the empirical patterns gain explanatory depth. This integration clarifies how online self-presentation not only reflects but actively reshapes offline identity, producing a selfhood that is fluid, performative, and shaped by structural forces.
Key themes include the feedback loops between digital representation and embodied experience, the tension between curated authenticity and performative obligation, and the algorithmic infrastructures that mediate visibility and self-expression. The chapter proceeds by outlining the study’s theoretical contributions (Section 5.2.1), practical implications (Section 5.2.2), limitations (Section 5.3), and suggestions for future research (Section 5.3.1), concluding with a synthesis of the broader significance of Subrealism.
5.2 Theoretical and Practical Implications
5.2.1 Theoretical Contributions
This research positions Subrealism as a synthesized theoretical framework that operationalizes classical philosophical thought for empirical analysis in the platform era. By linking the work of Baudrillard, Debord, Foucault, and Latour to the indicators defined in Chapter 3, the study demonstrates how these foundational perspectives, when integrated, offer a robust explanation of identity hybridization in digitally mediated environments. This integration spans ontological questions of selfhood, sociological structures of visibility and power, and technological infrastructures that mediate and condition identity formation.
Extension of Existing Theories — Subrealism reframes these theories in a mutually reinforcing structure rather than treating them in isolation. Baudrillard’s notion of hyperreality underpins the indicator of media-induced hyperreality, as evidenced by Instagram’s aesthetic curation practices that elevate idealized images above lived experience. Debord’s spectacle corresponds to the influence of the spectacle indicator, illustrated by TikTok’s trend cycles where visibility becomes a commodity in itself. Foucault’s surveillance theory informs the understanding of identity fragmentation, visible in the self-regulation and audience-aware persona management of YouTube creators. Latour’s Actor-Network Theory anchors the network society dynamics indicator, showing how platform architectures and algorithmic systems act as co-authors of identity. This integrated application allows for mapping complex feedback loops between online self-presentation and offline self-concept, advancing beyond what any single theory could offer independently.
New Perspectives on Identity — Subrealism departs from earlier models that cast digital and physical selves as either seamlessly merged or entirely distinct. Instead, it reveals a process of continual negotiation in which virtual and embodied identities interact, conflict, and adapt in response to platform architectures, cultural expectations, and individual agency. Empirical evidence from Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube confirms that hybrid identities are neither fixed nor purely fragmented; they are dynamic constructs shaped by recursive exchanges between representation and embodiment. This perspective enriches scholarly discourse by emphasizing the fluid, contested, and structurally mediated nature of selfhood in the digital age.
5.2.2 Practical Implications
The findings of this study carry practical relevance for three main groups: platform designers, content creators, and everyday users. By grounding these implications in the operational indicators of media-induced hyperreality, identity fragmentation, spectacle effects, and network dynamics, the discussion translates theoretical insight into actionable guidance that responds to real-world platform dynamics.
For platform designers — The results indicate that platform architectures can either amplify or temper the pressures of Subrealism.
- Mitigating hyperreality: Interface options could promote a balance between curated and authentic content, for example, by offering “unfiltered” or minimally edited posting modes — a direction echoed by Instagram’s emerging no-filter challenges, particularly relevant given that 75% of Instagram users in this study reported altering images to meet aesthetic expectations.
- Reducing visibility fatigue: Recommendation algorithms could reward diversity of content styles, not solely trend-conforming formats, to counteract TikTok’s current virality bias and the 55% of TikTok users who reported altering content to fit dominant trends.
- Enhancing network transparency: Clearly communicating when algorithmic changes affect content visibility — like YouTube’s creator analytics alerts — would reduce uncertainty and over-adaptation. Addressing monetization incentives within these systems is critical, as revenue models often intensify hypercuration and spectacle effects by tying income to high-engagement content.
For content creators — The pressures of hypercuration and audience-driven self-regulation can lead to performance fatigue and identity fragmentation.
- Identity resilience: Periodic “persona audits” to align public image with personal values could reduce long-term strain. This is especially pertinent for the 60% of YouTube creators in this study who reported feeling compelled to maintain a consistent persona for audience retention.
- Strategic authenticity: Mixing high-production content with intentionally unpolished material can disrupt hyperreality loops while sustaining engagement, as demonstrated by successful vlog-style creators.
- Network diversification: Engaging across multiple platforms, each with distinct affordances, can reduce dependency on a single algorithmic and monetization ecosystem, mitigating the commercial pressures that often drive spectacle conformity.
For everyday users — Awareness of Subrealism’s dynamics can inform healthier engagement practices.
- Self-monitoring hyperreality: Users can periodically reflect on whether their posting or viewing habits foster unrealistic self-comparisons, particularly in visual-first spaces like Instagram.
- Resisting aesthetic conformity: Deliberately curating feeds to include varied content styles can counteract the narrowing effects of spectacle-driven algorithms, which 65% of respondents identified as shaping their content choices.
- Critical platform literacy: Understanding that algorithms, such as TikTok’s “For You” feed or YouTube’s recommendations, act as active agents in shaping exposure, encourages a more intentional and selective interaction.
Across all groups, the evidence underscores that agency is not absolute freedom from structural forces but a capacity to navigate, negotiate, and, at times, resist the infrastructural and economic constraints of platform-mediated identity. Design interventions and literacy efforts should also account for equity considerations: the ability to implement these strategies varies by socioeconomic resources, cultural norms, and digital access, meaning that effective solutions must be adaptable to diverse user contexts. Translating the insights of Subrealism into practice has the potential to foster more balanced, reflective, and sustainable forms of digital selfhood.
5.3 Limitations of the Study
While this study offers meaningful contributions to understanding Subrealism and its manifestations across social media platforms, several limitations should be acknowledged.
Scope of Platforms — The analysis focuses on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, selected for their complementary but distinct roles in shaping digital identity. While these platforms capture a broad spectrum of content formats, audience cultures, and algorithmic architectures, the findings may not generalize to other digital environments such as immersive metaverse spaces, virtual reality platforms, or decentralized social networks. These emerging arenas may generate identity dynamics that diverge from those documented here, particularly in their capacity for persistent embodiment, multisensory engagement, or non-algorithmic visibility structures. In addition, platform business models — such as advertising-driven versus subscription-based revenue — were not isolated as a variable in this study, yet such economic architectures can significantly influence hypercuration, spectacle effects, and user engagement patterns.
Methodological Constraints — The study’s reliance on self-reported survey and interview data introduces potential biases, including selective memory, self-presentation effects, and the gap between reported and actual behaviors. While triangulation with content analysis provided an additional layer of corroboration, participant accounts remain subjective. This limitation is particularly relevant for indicators such as media-induced hyperreality and identity fragmentation, where self-perception may differ from observable platform activity. The analysis is cross-sectional and does not support causal or longitudinal claims. Furthermore, the data captures a specific period of platform operations; subsequent changes to algorithms, interface design, or content-moderation policies may alter the dynamics described here.
Sample Representation — Although efforts were made to capture a diverse participant pool, the sample may over-represent active or highly engaged users, whose experiences of hypercuration, spectacle effects, and network dynamics may be more pronounced than those of casual participants. The generalizability of findings is also constrained by potential cultural and geographic skew: if participants were concentrated in particular regions or social contexts, the documented identity negotiation patterns may not fully represent the diversity of global user experiences.
5.3.1 Suggestions for Future Research
The limitations identified in this study point to several avenues for extending and deepening the Subrealism framework in future research.
Broader Platform Analysis — Expanding Subrealism research to include emerging digital ecosystems such as virtual reality environments, metaverse platforms, and decentralized social networks would offer fresh perspectives on identity differentiation. Immersive, avatar-driven interactions present unique conditions for media-induced hyperreality and identity fragmentation, particularly when embodiment and representation are persistent across sessions. Future studies could adopt a comparative affordance framework, directly contrasting identity negotiation mechanisms in established platforms such as Instagram with those in immersive social worlds like VRChat or Horizon Worlds. This would illuminate how infrastructural design and sensory depth alter the balance between representation, embodiment, and network dynamics.
Longitudinal Studies — Tracking the evolution of digital selves over extended periods could yield valuable insight into the cumulative psychological and social effects of sustaining multiple personas. Such studies could measure how spectacle effects, hypercuration, and network dynamics evolve in relation to platform algorithm changes, monetization incentives, and shifting cultural norms. Combining self-report measures with behavioral analytics would help bridge the gap between perceived and actual online behavior, while participant retention strategies and adaptive research designs would be necessary to account for the evolving nature of platform affordances over time.
Intersectional and Equity-Focused Approaches — Future research should examine how gender, race, socioeconomic status, cultural background, and infrastructure access influence the construction and negotiation of online personas. These factors can shape how hyperreality, spectacle, and surveillance are experienced, and may determine the strategies individuals use to maintain authenticity across digital and physical domains. Access to high-speed connections, affordable devices, and reliable bandwidth is itself a determinant of participation in network dynamics, influencing who can sustain certain identity performances. Studying the impact of digital literacy programs — particularly those designed for marginalized or underrepresented communities — could reveal how targeted interventions enhance users’ capacity to critically assess their virtual identities, resist harmful platform dynamics, and develop sustainable self-presentation practices.
Chapter 5 Conclusion
The findings of this study affirm Subrealism’s value as both a theoretical framework and a practical lens for understanding identity in digitally mediated environments. By synthesizing empirical evidence from Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube with the philosophical foundations outlined in Chapter 2 and the operational indicators defined in Chapter 3, this research demonstrates how media-induced hyperreality, identity fragmentation, spectacle effects, and network dynamics interact to co-produce hybrid self-concepts. These indicators manifest with varying intensities across platforms — hyperreality dominates Instagram’s aesthetic culture, spectacle effects are more prominent on TikTok’s trend cycles, and network dynamics are central to YouTube’s recommendation-driven visibility — yet together they illustrate the shared pressures of the platform era.
This chapter has also highlighted Subrealism’s capacity to generate actionable guidance for multiple stakeholder groups. Practical measures — such as interface options that temper hypercuration, algorithms that diversify content visibility, creator “persona audits,” and user-centered digital literacy programs — have been proposed as ways to navigate and mitigate the pressures of platform-mediated identity construction. These recommendations are grounded in the study’s empirical findings and address not only individual agency but also the infrastructural and economic conditions that shape identity performance.
By acknowledging the study’s limitations and outlining future research directions — including comparative analysis of emerging immersive platforms, longitudinal tracking of identity evolution, and equity-focused investigations — this chapter positions Subrealism as a framework that is both adaptable and open to refinement.
In sum, Subrealism emerges from this study as more than a descriptive concept: it is an analytical and applied framework for understanding identity in the platform era and informing design, creator practice, and digital-literacy interventions. Its emphasis on negotiation over binary models of selfhood—as seen in creators adapting offline personas to shifting online audience expectations—and its capacity to integrate ontological, sociological, and technological perspectives offer a foundation for both scholarly advancement and practical intervention. The concluding chapter will build on this synthesis, reflecting on the broader implications of these findings for digital culture, interdisciplinary research, and the future of identity in an interwoven online–offline existence.
CHAPTER 6: Conclusion and Future Directions
6.1 Summary of Findings
This study identifies the key dynamics shaping identity in the platform era: the differentiation of self-representation, the prevalence of media-induced hyperreality, the spectacle’s influence, and the pervasive presence of identity fragmentation. Together, these forces underscore an ongoing negotiation—rather than a binary split—between digital and embodied selves, a negotiation structured by the infrastructural logics of contemporary media platforms.
- Subrealism as a Conceptual Lens — Subrealism captures the intersection of subjective experience and digitally mediated sub-realities, offering an analytical framework for examining the interplay between online and offline identities. It challenges binary models of selfhood, framing identity as fluid, performative, and continually re-shaped through technological, cultural, and economic forces.
- Theoretical Integration and Indicators — Synthesizing the work of Baudrillard, Debord, Foucault, and Latour, the thesis operationalizes their ideas into four key indicators: media-induced hyperreality, spectacle effects, identity fragmentation, and network dynamics (Chapter 3.3). This mapping transforms abstract theory into testable dimensions directly applied to the empirical analysis.
- Empirical Insights Across Platforms — While all four indicators are present across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, their relative intensities vary: Instagram’s visual culture amplifies hyperreality and aspirational gaps; TikTok’s rapid trend cycles magnify spectacle effects and performance fatigue; YouTube’s recommendation and monetization systems highlight network dynamics and blur private–public boundaries. Across all platforms, identity fragmentation emerges as a shared outcome, though expressed in different forms.
- Cultural and Ethical Implications — The findings expose the commodification of identity, the intensification of visibility pressures, and the psychological toll of sustaining idealized personas, including heightened anxiety and lowered self-esteem. These outcomes point to the need for structural interventions—such as transparency in algorithmic design, accountability in platform governance, and the expansion of digital literacy initiatives—to foster healthier and more sustainable identity practices.
6.2 Theoretical Contributions
This study advances identity research and media studies by reframing how individuals negotiate selfhood in platform-mediated environments, positioning Subrealism as both an analytical lens and a conceptual bridge between classical theory and empirical observation.
- Subrealism as a Novel Concept — Subrealism offers a conceptual framework that links subjective lived experience with digitally mediated sub-realities, framing identity as fluid, performative, and continually negotiated within technological, cultural, and economic structures. It departs from static or binary models of selfhood, emphasizing negotiation as the central process through which online and offline identities interact.
- Extension of Existing Theories — Building on Baudrillard’s hyperreality, Debord’s spectacle, Foucault’s surveillance, and Latour’s Actor-Network Theory, Subrealism integrates these perspectives into a mutually reinforcing model, operationalized via the indicators of media-induced hyperreality, spectacle effects, identity fragmentation, and network dynamics (Chapter 3.3). This integration enables insights that individual theories alone could not provide — where Baudrillard explains content’s hyperreal nature, Foucault reveals the disciplinary forces sustaining it, and Latour exposes the infrastructural actors shaping its circulation. Platform-specific patterns make this clear: Instagram’s aestheticized self-curation illustrates hyperreality; TikTok’s trend-driven performance pressures demonstrate spectacle effects and performance fatigue as a form of fragmentation; YouTube’s recommendation and monetization systems highlight network dynamics alongside the erosion of private–public boundaries.
- Empirical Insights into Digital Identity — By applying this integrated framework to Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, this analysis shows how the indicators interact differently depending on platform architectures, monetization models, and cultural norms. This comparative approach reveals that while all platforms contribute to hybrid identity formation, the pathways and pressures vary, offering a more granular understanding of how selfhood is shaped in the platform era.
6.3 Broader Implications and Interdisciplinary Impact
The implications of this research extend beyond media studies, influencing multiple academic disciplines, policy debates, and applied practices. By foregrounding the negotiation between digital and physical selves under the conditions of Subrealism, this thesis offers insights relevant to societal well-being, interdisciplinary scholarship, and ethical governance.
- Societal Implications — Subrealism provides a framework for anticipating how future generations may construct and sustain identity in increasingly differentiated online and offline realities. Greater identity fragmentation (see Section 3.3.2) may be associated with heightened anxiety, performance fatigue, social isolation, and difficulty maintaining a coherent sense of self. At the same time, hybrid identities—if supported by ethical platform design—can enable new forms of creative self-expression, cultural exchange, and global community-building, suggesting that the same forces producing risk can also open opportunities for positive social transformation.
- Interdisciplinary Impact — The framework’s relevance extends to sociology, psychology, cultural studies, economics, and education.
• Sociology: Subrealism highlights how algorithmic infrastructures driving network dynamics shape collective identities and reinforce ideological enclaves, with implications for social cohesion and trust.
• Psychology: It offers a lens for examining the cognitive and emotional consequences of sustaining hybrid personas, including the tension between self-authenticity and performative obligation.
• Economics: It foregrounds how monetization incentives and spectacle-driven economies influence identity performance and consumer behavior, particularly in influencer and creator markets.
• Education: It underscores the value of critical digital literacy, equipping students to navigate and assess the socio-technical forces shaping both virtual and physical self-representation.
- Ethical Considerations — The commodification of identity, the pressures of perpetual visibility, and the opacity of algorithmic decision-making raise pressing ethical concerns. Policymakers, platform designers, and civil society actors should prioritize responsible and inclusive algorithmic governance that combines transparency, diversity of self-representation, and user agency over personal data. Stronger privacy protections, as well as equitable access to digital infrastructure and literacy, are essential to preventing the deepening of identity inequities in the platform era.
In sum, the interdisciplinary reach of Subrealism lies in its ability to connect ontological, sociological, and technological dimensions of selfhood, offering both diagnostic clarity and practical pathways for fostering more sustainable identity practices in the digital age.
6.4 Future Directions
The development of Subrealism as a conceptual and analytical framework opens multiple pathways for further research and application. Building on its theoretical integration and empirical insights, the following directions offer opportunities to extend and refine its scope:
- Comparative Platform Studies — Future research could examine a broader range of environments, including immersive virtual reality, metaverse platforms, and decentralized social networks. Comparative analysis between established systems (e.g., Instagram) and emerging spaces (e.g., VRChat, Horizon Worlds, Metaverse) could reveal how different infrastructural designs influence hyperreality, spectacle effects, and identity fragmentation. These environments may not only shift identity pressures but also create openings for more diverse and creative self-expression.
- Longitudinal and Adaptive Designs — Tracking identity negotiation over extended periods would clarify how algorithm changes, monetization pressures, cultural shifts, and network dynamics reshape hybrid selfhood. Adaptive research methods, capable of adjusting to evolving platform features, combined with participant retention strategies, would keep such studies relevant in fast-changing digital contexts.
- Intersectional and Equity-Focused Inquiry — Examining how gender, race, socioeconomic position, and infrastructure access shape online identity performance would deepen understanding of uneven risks and opportunities in the platform era. Research should attend to how marginalized communities experience and navigate hyperreality, spectacle, and network dynamics, and assess the role of targeted digital literacy programs in reducing inequities.
- Applied Interventions — Translating Subrealism’s insights into responsible and inclusive algorithmic governance—combining platform design principles with regulatory measures—offers a path toward more balanced identity negotiation. Testing transparency features, authenticity-supporting interface options, and cross-platform identity management tools could help mitigate harmful identity pressures, while fostering diversity in self-representation.
By pursuing these directions, future scholarship can both stress-test and expand the explanatory nature of Subrealism, ensuring its continued relevance as digital environments diversify, converge, and reshape the boundaries of contemporary selfhood.
Thesis Conclusion
Subrealism, as presented in this thesis, provides a critical framework for understanding the hybridization of subjective reality in the digital age. At its core is the recognition that specific digital environments—particularly social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—profoundly shape self-perception, contribute to hyperreal experiences, and intensify identity fragmentation. These platforms sustain a dual reality in which individuals are in constant negotiation between their online and offline personas, offering a powerful lens through which the fluid, adaptive, and at times unstable nature of identity can be examined.
The research integrates and extends classical existentialist and poststructuralist thought, drawing on the philosophical contributions of Guy Debord, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Jean Baudrillard. Placing these ideas within a contemporary digital context, Subrealism challenges fixed notions of selfhood and reconceptualizes the self as a dynamic, fragmented construct, shaped by the continuous interplay between virtual and physical realms.
The societal repercussions of these findings are significant. The commodification of identity, fueled by the pressures of constant visibility, raises pressing concerns for psychological well-being. Hypercuration—amplifying selected aspects of one’s life for public consumption—can foster anxiety, diminish self-esteem, and weaken a sense of belonging. Yet these same spaces can, under the right conditions, encourage creativity, connection, and cross-cultural exchange. This duality makes clear the need for robust ethical guidelines and policies that mitigate harm while enabling more constructive uses of digital identity.
Over the past decade, social media has become a defining force for younger generations, especially those who have never known a world without it. For many, identity development unfolds in a continuous dual space—online and offline—without the clear boundaries experienced by previous generations. Subrealism draws attention to the risks inherent in this condition: hypercuration, over-reliance on digital affirmation, and the mounting tension between lived reality and curated fabrication. Understanding how these generations will navigate such an environment is critical, as online interactions increasingly shape both personal identity and collective culture.
Although this study focused on social media, its scope extends further. Future research might explore Subrealism within immersive environments such as VR and the metaverse, where the fusion of virtual and physical presence is even more intense. Such work should also address the broader intersections between digital and real-world experiences, enabling a more comprehensive account of identity formation in a networked age.
As the digital landscape evolves, the insights provided by Subrealism remain essential for addressing the challenges posed by fragmented self-representations. These findings contribute to ongoing academic debates and lay a foundation for ethical frameworks that encourage healthier and more balanced engagement with digital media. They invite society to reconsider how we inhabit online spaces, to remain alert to the psychological, social, and moral dimensions of these hybrid realities, and to actively shape environments that support authenticity, agency, and well-being.
By confronting the potential dangers of a hypercurated existence, while acknowledging the possibilities for creativity and connection, this thesis emphasizes the need for approaches that both analyze and act. Subrealism ultimately calls for a rethinking of how individuals engage with media platforms, urging a collective effort toward more balanced and intentional interactions, as we navigate the increasingly intertwined realities of our future.
FINITO
References
- Prata, J. (2022). Visual Culture on Instagram: The Impact of Image-Based Platforms on Identity and Self-Representation. (Subrealism.com)
- Prata, J. (2022). Performative Selves on TikTok: The Role of Algorithmic Curation in Shaping Digital Identity. (Subrealism.com)
- Prata, J. (2022). Curated Authenticity: The Dichotomy of Real and Performed Identities in YouTube Influencers. (Subrealism.com)
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