The Internet's Identity Crisis

Psychologist and Professor Blake Ashford recently stated in the Journal of Management Studies that, “COVID‐19 is encouraging individuals to define themselves less in terms of an ‘organizational we’ and more as other forms of ‘we’ along with a personalized ‘me.’”
 
During over a year of isolation, many were stripped of the "organizational we" found in professional settings or entire jobs that make up a large portion of daily life and identity. The same can be said for many activities and communities that make us feel like ourselves. Now people are grasping for new 'forms of we' through highly niche or arbitrary methods of self-identification. The trend is consistent with the internet’s longstanding obsession with categorization (Buzzfeed quizzes, Tumblr mood boards, starter packs) but with new extremes. 
 
The most mainstream example of the moment? Identifying as a member of Pfizer gang or team Moderna based on which vaccine you received (significant corners of the internet controversially claim that Pfizer is the superior “hot person” vaccine). Similarly tongue-in-cheek identification with other pharmaceutical brands from popular anti-depressants to birth control have also made their way into TikTok usernames (countless accounts include the phrase "Prozac princess"), dating app bios (one Tinder user listed their place of work as "Lexapro 10mg") and beyond. And it only gets more specific from there.

For less brand-centric forms of identity, there are guides to help you find yourself. Aesthetics Wiki, an online encyclopedia dedicated to “the identification, observation, and documentation of visual schema,” can help you decide if you’re more "cottagecore" or "seapunk." You can then peruse what music to listen to, clothes to wear, activities to take part in, and even things to avoid based on your chosen identity. Aesthetic-adjacent “vibes” are similarly used for defining oneself because, like memes, anyone can create their own version. New Yorker's Kyle Chakra describes their appeal: “They’re not scarce or limited-edition. Replication doesn’t cheapen them. On social media, users not only curate vibes but generate new ones.”

But not all vibes are good ones. We’re also seeing new language that distances people from how they don’t want to be known. Most recently, “cheugy” has become the identifier for slightly out of date/fashion people, brands, interests, and even specific dinner foods. As internet users seek to belong, they also feel the need to categorize the "forms of we" they wish to avoid. 

How should brands think about the internet's identity crisis? There may not be a hard science for avoiding a cheugy label, but there are some predictions surrounding monetization of this hyper-identification trend. As Chakra stated, "it’s not hard to imagine prepackaged kits sold on (TikTok) to aspiring dark academics." And there's no shortage of Pfizer gang merch. Others speculate that niche identifiers are simply the latest example of grasping for community in a time of uncertainty. 

Perhaps people are using guides like Aesthetics Wiki as a map to live by – not unlike the recent rise of daily horoscopes, psychic counsel, or tarot cards. Its popularity further evidences the need for a blueprint in the absence of trusted guiding societal pillars. This form of personal sensemaking presents yet another opportunity for innovators to step in and aid in collective self-exploration. 

Julia Dixon

The generational feuds continue. “Cheugy” is the latest weapon in the ongoing culture wars between Millennials and Zoomers. Much of the mockery has been fairly light-hearted, with Zoomers skewering Millennials for their side parts, skinny jeans, unironic use of the term “doggo,” and predilection for the crying-laughing emoji; some of it, such as criticizing millennials for embracing Lean In corporate feminism, has been more serious. 

Automated gender “recognition” and AI systems that predict sexual orientation are dangerous for LGBTQ people around the world. Advocates urge companies, programmers, and designers to use an intersectional lens when making decisions about what features to build, and how to best include and empower people with diverse identities.

With sites like Tribute, customers can browse a digital-only marketplace to buy cyber clothing — which can cost as little as $29 to as much as $699. They then submit a photo of themselves in skintight or minimal clothing, and digital tailors will “dress” their image and send it back to the consumer within five business days. More people may join in on this digital fashion revolution as they spend more and more time in virtual worlds, but can the adoption of digital garments really replace the feeling of tangible ones?

Do you keep logging onto the internet and seeing people calling each other “bestie” and “girlie” and “girlboss” and “queen?” Welcome to the internet's obsession with ironically appropriating multi-level marketing culture.

This talk by Berkman Klein's Sahar Massachi explores what it might be like to think about social media as a city. In this model, how can we rethink our approaches to these issues besides hiring more police to react to the problem? The conversation explores the use of integrity design to more meaningfully consider the underlying structures and how to more holistically address them.