Identification strategies and practices in the social media space

The article presents an analysis of the impact of digitalization on the strategies and practices of identity representation in the space of social networks, due to the broad context of the formation of a virtual personality in the modern world. As a result of the conducted studies and polls, tendencies of convergence of virtual and real identity, and also permanence of process of construction of virtual identity not only in opposition of oneself to other, but also in formation of borders of value-acceptable information and communication cocoon are revealed. Social networks in this respect are a resource and a field for public marking and self-confirmation of a person, becoming a podium for presentation of own identity and the basis of “humanization” of the digital environment. The most figurative strategies of identity representation in the space of social networks are expressed in project, spontaneous or reflective, modular, status-role, relevant, imaginary, and diffuse forms of identification. Thus, social networks provide many opportunities for different formats of self-presentation and strategies of identity construction, allowing not just to participate in the creation of one’s own virtual reality, but to express oneself and identify within a community, setting themselves apart from others, but also closing in on a group of persons with similar borders of value-acceptable information. These processes are actively taking place in social networks, where the playing with identity that took place at the beginning of the 21st century was replaced by socially oriented profiles of public identity.