Self Beyond Expression - Maintaining the Self through Silent consumption on social media
(2025) BUSN39 20251Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Through the literature on self in the digital sphere, there has been a large focus on vocal consumption and the expressiveness of consumers, hence, there is minimal knowledge concerning how silent consumption can influence the self. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore and understand how the consumer uses social media and silent consumption, which we define as consumption and interaction without two-way communication or dialog with others. The study further aims to examine how this form of engagement influences the consumers’ sense of self.
In order to reach an understanding of consumers' self and the use of social media, multiple methods were applied. Self-maps were applied to gain understanding of the participants’ self,... (More) - Through the literature on self in the digital sphere, there has been a large focus on vocal consumption and the expressiveness of consumers, hence, there is minimal knowledge concerning how silent consumption can influence the self. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore and understand how the consumer uses social media and silent consumption, which we define as consumption and interaction without two-way communication or dialog with others. The study further aims to examine how this form of engagement influences the consumers’ sense of self.
In order to reach an understanding of consumers' self and the use of social media, multiple methods were applied. Self-maps were applied to gain understanding of the participants’ self, diaries to collect their digital activities, and semi-structured interviews to explore their self-maps and diaries more fully. The data material that was collected was both verbal and non-verbal cues in the form of their body language and tonality. The method contributed to four empirical themes regarding how silent consumption influenced the consumers.
The first theme, silent consumption on social media, showcased the nature and usage of silent consumption on social media. Tend the flame revealed how social media helped in reminding, educating, inspiring, and protecting the self, and friends around the campfire highlighted how validation could strengthen but also weaken the self. Lastly, the algorithm as gasoline shows that the algorithm could either strengthen the self or create disturbance and self-doubt. In conclusion, it was seen that social media could be used by the consumer to symbolically consume content to maintain the self, without the use of vocal consumption. This was achieved through various ways such as reminding, learning, getting inspiration, and protection in the form of avoidance of consumption and validation. However, the algorithm can cause harm to the self, depending on both the content and the amount that is presented. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9209122
- author
- Anderzén, Tim LU and Lindqvist, Jesper LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Self, Social media, Silent consumption, Symbolic consumption & Digital consumption
- language
- English
- id
- 9209122
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-17 10:18:26
- date last changed
- 2025-09-17 10:18:26
@misc{9209122,
abstract = {{Through the literature on self in the digital sphere, there has been a large focus on vocal consumption and the expressiveness of consumers, hence, there is minimal knowledge concerning how silent consumption can influence the self. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore and understand how the consumer uses social media and silent consumption, which we define as consumption and interaction without two-way communication or dialog with others. The study further aims to examine how this form of engagement influences the consumers’ sense of self.
In order to reach an understanding of consumers' self and the use of social media, multiple methods were applied. Self-maps were applied to gain understanding of the participants’ self, diaries to collect their digital activities, and semi-structured interviews to explore their self-maps and diaries more fully. The data material that was collected was both verbal and non-verbal cues in the form of their body language and tonality. The method contributed to four empirical themes regarding how silent consumption influenced the consumers.
The first theme, silent consumption on social media, showcased the nature and usage of silent consumption on social media. Tend the flame revealed how social media helped in reminding, educating, inspiring, and protecting the self, and friends around the campfire highlighted how validation could strengthen but also weaken the self. Lastly, the algorithm as gasoline shows that the algorithm could either strengthen the self or create disturbance and self-doubt. In conclusion, it was seen that social media could be used by the consumer to symbolically consume content to maintain the self, without the use of vocal consumption. This was achieved through various ways such as reminding, learning, getting inspiration, and protection in the form of avoidance of consumption and validation. However, the algorithm can cause harm to the self, depending on both the content and the amount that is presented.}},
author = {{Anderzén, Tim and Lindqvist, Jesper}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Self Beyond Expression - Maintaining the Self through Silent consumption on social media}},
year = {{2025}},
}