The persona, as described by Carl Jung, is the version of the self that we choose to show to the world. In digital media, the personas are the carefully curated profiles that we use online, and can take many forms, changing according to the function they serve. The use of persona is not condemned, but the problem starts when we confuse the self with the persona. When our worth is solely related to our digital performance, when we constantly compare ourselves with others, and ultimately, when, instead of using the mask, we are used by the image that we have built.
Our news feed can show the hidden parts of our personality. The likes and engagement with content become data, and we end up disclosing the hidden part of ourselves to the algorithm. The algorithm can be viewed as the mirror that portrays our behavior rather than our persona. While we influence and feed the algorithm, the algorithm also feeds us by selecting content based on our preferences.
In the process of individuation and finding our true selves, connecting the conscious and the unconscious, the digital media seems to hinder this process. The requirement is to discover ourselves as a whole, but in this age, fragmentation is supported. Having different personas like professional, social, romantic, and private according to the platform we use, the audience, and the goal we set for maximizing the benefits of each platform, makes the individuation process more difficult.
But how could we leverage the tools of the digital world?
We can start by being aware of our feelings, behaviors, and reactions. We have to make sure that the personas are not confused with our true selves and that the masks are used as a tool, and not as prisons of our personality. By paying attention to our algorithms and the feelings that arise, we can be led into deeper reflection, understand our triggers, the comparison, and our fluctuating worth, and reach a better understanding of ourselves.
Jung, C. G. (1953/1966). Two Essays on Analytical Psychology (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). In H. Read, M. Fordham, & G. Adler (Eds.), The Collected Works of C. G. Jung (Vol. 7). Princeton University Press.
Available at: https://jungiancenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Vol-7-two-essays-on-analytical-psychology.pdf
I liked how you connected Carl Jung’s theory onto our modern world, it’s crazy how we still live under the same concepts of self, ego and personal, through the digital world. With the normalisation and mass consumption of social media, the lines between persona and self start blurring more and more. Something that might help us to build back the differences would be to digest content with a more analytical eye: instead of just accepting the information being fed to us, looking at it and understanding if you agree with it or not, if it aligns with your morals and how it makes you feel. I think that would make us more aware of where our persona starts and ends.
I liked the way you included Jung’s concept of persona in your essay and how you linked it to the way we represent ourselves in various platforms today. The comparison of the algorithm to a mirror of our behaviour, but not our persona actually made an impact on me. It’s a bit confronting to realise how much of our hidden self we expose through our clicks and likes. I liked your reminder that our masks are tools (not prisons). This made me think back about my profiles and whether I am using them more deliberately than unconsciously so they do not control my sense of self-worth.
Great blog… Carl Jung is one of the coolest thinkers…One thing I’d like to add that your digital persona is in high fidelity; meaning that the persona we craft exists in HD. Compare that with the persona you have with your friends, you cannot go back 10 days from now and rewatch how you acted etc… On social media you can and I think it can really turn you into a more one dimensional person.