THE "DATA MANNEQUIN" EFFECT
SOCIAL MEDIA'S INFLUENCE ON ADOLESCENT CONFORMITY AND IDENTITY FORMATION
SOCIAL MEDIA'S INFLUENCE ON ADOLESCENT CONFORMITY AND IDENTITY FORMATION
The study examines the impact of online platforms on adolescent conformity, focusing on how the influence of social media, labelling behaviors, and cyber celebrities shape adolescent users' self-perceptions and identities. With the popularization of the Internet, digital media has created a “data modelling” effect, in which adolescents mimic the behaviors and appearances of online personalities to conform to mainstream standards. The phenomenon tends to result in adolescents displaying an over-packaged version of themselves on social media to conform to idealized standards rather than expressing their true selves. Using a mannequin as a metaphor for the behavioral consistency of adolescents confronted with the Internet, this study explores how the digital age inhibits individualized expression and contributes to the homogenization of identity. The research employs various methods, including questionnaire survey, content analysis, and experimental design, to collect quantitative and qualitative data on adolescents' social media use, interactions with influencers, and responses to standardized visual stimuli. The study aims to reveal the impact of social media consistency on adolescents' self-identity construction and to propose ways to help adolescents express themselves more diversely and authentically from a design perspective. The study results will be a publication, postcards, and an experimental installation of hashtag armor.