No More Backstage? Revisiting Goffman’s Dramaturgical Theory in the Age of Social Media
Abstract
This paper revisited Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical theory in the context of digital self-presentation on social media platforms. Drawing on Goffman’s concepts of frontstage, backstage, and impression management, it examined how the affordances and constraints of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Rednote (Xiaohongshu) reshaped the boundaries between public and private spheres. Integrating perspectives from Ben Agger’s concept of oversharing, Lee Humphreys’s notion of the qualified self, and Michel Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power, the analysis identified the structural forces—particularly algorithms and persistent data traces—that increasingly governed online performances. The paper argued that while Goffman’s framework remained a valuable analytical lens, its emphasis on individual agency is challenged in a platform-mediated environment where users perform not only for human audiences but also for systems. The discussion concluded with implications for future research on digital identities, algorithmic governance, and the potential emergence of new “backstages” in virtual spaces.
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