Identity in flux : a critical engagement of cultural identity and media identity

Abstract

Philosophers have long studied the question of "Who am I?" and it is still significant today, especially as the social and lived experiences of individuals’ realities shift in the digital age. In this study, using the South African social context, I raise the question: is there a threat to cultural identity in the face of media identity? which is crucial to comprehending one's sense of self in modern society. This prompts me to look at two pertinent ideas: 1) cultural identity, shaped by beliefs, values, and traditions, and 2) media identity, influenced by the information society and social media performativity. I establish the complex nature of identity and the various ways in which identity is always changing. By engaging existing research works on cultural identity and media identity, as well as the works of Gadamer and Taylor, I develop my theoretical framework, on which I base my arguments and philosophical critique. The study offers theoretical descriptions of social media, which I obtained through qualitative desktop research methodology centred on critically analysing existing literature. I describe some of the challenges and contemporary interpretations of cultural and media identity and offer further critiques of the theoretical positions of existing interpretations of social media. The study thus provides a philosophically informed understanding of the relationship that exists in the formulation of identity, described as the ‘fusion of horizons’, which is informed by cultural identity and media identity.