The Becomings of the Digital Social Space: An Intersectional Framework of Phobia and Performance Leading to Identity Curation in Women
摘要
The digital age is an age of intersectionality wherein social media has become a central platform for self-expression and social interaction. By doing so, it contributes to emerging forms of anxiety—including fear of missing out (FOMO) and intensifies performative expectations across various age groups and gender identities. The study is an exploration of the phenomenon of techno culture deriving social media phobia and performative behaviour among married and single women in a postmodern digital space. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the impact of Social Media Engagement (SME) on Social Media Phobia (SMP) and Social Media Performative Behaviour (SMPB). Also, it examines whether age and marital status has any relationship with social media engagement. For the present study, quantitative research design was used. Since, this study was on women only therefore, sample size of 220 included married and single women respondents 110 each. The data was collected with the help of self-administered questionnaire from the respondents of Bengaluru. Google form was prepared and circulated. Convenience sampling was used as sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data including t test, ANOVA and Regression analysis. The findings reveal that marital status is strongly related to social media engagement whereas, age does not see any significant relationship. Regression analysis shows the positive relationship between SME and SMP, SMP and SMPB and SEM and SMPB. Ultimately, this research contributes to the broader discourse on digital identity, mental health, and gendered experiences in the digital realm, offering a critical examination of how social media both empowers and constrains a women's self-expression.