“If you had the chance to like, not show people like a bad part of you… you would do it”: Perceptions of Offline Versus Online Social Media Identity Among Emerging Adults From Socio-Demographic Minority Groups in the U.S.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became an especially salient tool for interpersonal connections due to public policy limitations on in-person contact; but little is known about how emerging adults from various socio-demographic minority groups in the U.S. engaged with social media as a tool for identity construction during the pandemic. This qualitative interview study examined the role of social media engagement in perceptions of online versus offline identity during the pandemic. Participants were 24 emerging adults (M = 18.9 years old, SD = 0.44) from various socio-demographic minority groups. Results of thematic analysis indicated 5 themes: (i) ‘Highlight reel vs. real life’, (ii) ‘Navigating authenticity’, (iii) ‘Proceed with caution: Fear of judgment’ (iv) ‘Social media as an identity tool’, and (v) ‘The evolved social media identity’. Social media plays a critical role in emerging adults’ identity development by providing both opportunities and challenges for self-expression, emotion regulation, and self-reflection.