The Edited Self

The Edited Self is a “self-conscious persona” created by a person “that makes the world think they are entrepreneurial, knowledgeable, positive, and self-motivated- using tools drawn from commercial advertising.” (194) “The edited self is an entrepreneur whose product is a neatly packaged, performed identity” “The edited self must remain business friendly and carefully monitored, despite social media culture’s advocacy for transparency and openness”(195) “When people use social media to self brand, they are encouraged to regulate themselves along the well trod paths of enterprise culture, regardless of how much unpaid time this effort might require” (195) Melissa Gira Grant performs her edited self by revealing details about her romantic life. This allows for the rest of her private life to go unnoticed. By documenting her romantic and sexual encounters, she creates a character instead of living her entire life in public. She conceals what she considers most private. (237) Deciding what to reveal and what to keep private and maintaining the “edited self” is hard work. (240)

Marwick, Alice E. Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. London: Yale UP, 2013. Print.