digital arenas and subjectivity: changing rhetorics of the self

I have almost finished a draft of my fourth thesis-article. I stress draft as there are quite a few things which could be improved. Significantly one of those things is, surprise, a narrower focus. I'm rather satisfied with how I manage to discuss the subject as reflexive and social as well as the individual in relation to the discourses of society. All within a few pages (and definitely to be discussed in more depth elsewhere). I've ended up with three interrelated research questions: 1) How does digital network technology change our possibilities to express our own subjectivity? 2) How do individuals create convincing representations of their selves online? 3) Where are the borders between the private and public digital subject, and what is conceived as normal online practice?

Initially I had this idea of the late-modern subject as attention-seeking and happy to show off online. My informants have a substantial presence online. However, they cannot really be described as assertive attention-seekers, and they are very aware of the public character of their online presence. Their practices are consequently very reflexive, yet always reflecting real characteristics and values. "I am myself" is a mantra of late-modern societies isn't it?

The article will be part of a Norwegian anthology about personal media that I'm editing together with Terje and Lin. Exciting! And it felt good to write in my own language. I will have it translated to English though as my thesis will be all-English.