Framställningen av ett perfekt liv : En kvalitativ studie om sociala mediers påverkan på unga kvinnors identitet

Sammanfattning: The purpose of the thesis is to increase the knowledge of how young women between the ages of 20 and 25 experience their use of social media. The problem formulation is based on social media being able to influence the self-image of young women. Within these frames, a multitude of images and videos that people post are often flowing in the best possible way. This, in turn, can help many people believe that the people behind have a perfect life. The empirical material has been collected through seven qualitative interviews with young women aged 20-25. The empirical study was analyzed with the help of Erving Goffman's theory of impression control and Anthony Gidden's theory of identity and was then analyzed by a thematic analysis. The main themes of the study are "identity" and "control of impressions", "comparison and requirements in relation to social media"The quotes from the empirical material have been analyzed using the above-mentioned theories. The essay results show that the use of social media can adversely affect the interviewees. Young women's self-image can be influenced by all images published on social media, they are compared with this and furthermore it can lead to them feeling inadequate. There is a norm on social media that means that the flow should appear as a "perfect life". The result also shows that the interviewees create a certain identity on social media that can be different from the one they have in real life. The essay shows that the interviewees' way of presenting themselves on social media is in line with the other members who use social media, which means that everyone together creates these standards and maintains them.