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Berenice, E. Simon
Department of Psychology, Walden University
PSYC-5245-1
Dr. Wilson
June 18th , 2023
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In the past, people developed self-knowledge primarily through social interaction,
based upon the discernments of others they connect with in face-to-face discussion.
Unfortunately, the predominance of social media platforms such as Facebook has
obstructed this traditional self-knowledge process. This is since the substance shared on
social media tends to be skewed toward idealized forms of one's self, displaying a sifted
self-image that does not continuously accurately coincide with the subject's reality
(Wright et al., 2018). Moreover, those constrained to associate with social media do not
continuously get the same level of nuance in evaluating each other, making them less
dependable sources of self-knowledge (Riyanto & Zhang, 2016).
Even though the self-knowledge process is compromised when sifted through
social media stages, individuals can still access meaningful self-knowledge by interacting
in significant ways with those around them. Aronson et al. (2019) highlight that an
individual's self-perceptions around themselves are subject to external evaluation, which
it terms as social comparison. Through this process, individuals can evaluate their self-
concept against their peers, which can act as a source of self-knowledge. Making
companions and engaging in significant conversations and exercises will help to give an
accurate evaluation of each other's self-concept, compared to the sifted and idealized
version seen on social media.
In addition, to advance and improve the self-knowledge process, people can draw
upon subjective attribution to assist in understanding themselves in the setting of their
environment (Aronson et al., 2019). Through this process, individuals can understand the
environment in which they connect with others and the elucidations they have made from
the circumstances they have found themselves in. By engaging more with their
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environment, individuals shape a better idea of their convictions, values, and objectives,
which can give a more accurate perception of the self.
Contrary to Fein and Spencer (1997), individuals may use discrediting others to
reinforce their self-worth. Though this may be seen as a practical implication of self-
knowledge, it is imperative to note that this strategy does not provide a solid frame of
self-understanding. In place of depending on others' assessment of self, each person must
form a practical understanding of self that is partitioned from the evaluation of those
around them. Building this awareness can effectively come from engaging in significant
discussion with those who honestly represent their self-image.
As social media impediments conventional self-knowledge, people should
endeavor to gain a more critical understanding of self by engaging more truly with their
environment. By engaging in significant discussion and exercises with those around them
and encouraging subjective attribution, people can better gain a practical and accurate
appraisal of their claim sense of character, which can further develop self-knowledge.
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References
Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., & Sommers, S. R. (Eds.). (2019). Social
psychology (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Fein, S., & Spencer, S. J. (1997). Prejudice as self-image maintenance: Affirming the self
through derogating others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1),
31–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.73.1.31
Riyanto, Y. E., & Zhang, J. (2016). Putting a price tag on others’ perceptions of us.
Experimental Economics, 19(2), 480–499. doi:10.1007/s10683-015-9450-3
Wright, E. J., White, K. M., & Obst, P. L. (2018). Facebook false self-presentation
behaviors and adverse mental health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking, 21(1), 40–50.
