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Paper short abstract

This paper puts forward that algorithmic personalisation described by Kant (2020) stretches beyond the confines of the internet, in that interaction with the algorithm thoroughly and intimately impacts how content creators personify and perform their identity both online and offline.

Paper long abstract

The intersection of identity and authenticity in the social media context has become increasingly complex. This paper puts forward that algorithmic personalisation, described by Kant (2020), stretches beyond the confines of the internet, in that interaction with the algorithm thoroughly and intimately impacts how content creators personify and perform their identities both online and offline. Studying content creators who produce content professionally allows us to unpack identity construction and the performance thereof in a unique manner and point in time, especially considering the significance of 'genuine' connection with one’s audience who then become community juxtaposed with the embedded considerations of the algorithm and visibility optimisation. This paper unpacks three elements of identity construction and performance of affect online through the ethnographic stories of three young, black South African women who create content geared towards conversations about identity and their life experiences. The three elements that anchored the analysis were identity as constructed and/ascribed, the online self as character performance, and authenticity. These stories elucidate not only the complexity of building and maintaining identities mediated by algorithms but also emphasise the importance of affective labour in connecting with the audience and how this has become foundational in presenting and performing authenticity online.