Scholars of authenticity on social media have highlighted its situational, constructed, and performative aspects, and how it may manifest differently among lay social media users, influencers, celebrities and other public figures. Authenticity has been defined as a social norm of ‘realness’ that changes in time, is strategically used by people, groups and institutions, but still has symbolic and cultural value. Further, research has shown that performances and perceptions of authenticity on social media rely on carefully curated, normative and relatable rather than entirely accurate representation.

In this roundtable, five initial speakers will offer a short provocation on why they think authenticity (still) matters on social media:

Relying on her pioneering anthropological work on influencer cultures, Crystal Abidin (Curtin University, Australia) will review the generational shifts in how “commercial authenticity” is being performed and contested across four ‘eras’ of social media norms.

Drawing on her work on youth culture and activism online, Jing Zeng (Utrecht University, the Netherlands) will speak about the contestation of “authenticity” amongst Chinese diasporic activists.

Based on her research into platformed sexual and gender representation, Stefanie Duguay (Concordia University, Canada) will discuss how queer users negotiate platform affordances, governance, and economic structures (e.g. creator funds) to authentically self-brand sexual identity.

Building on his ethnography with beachcombers who collect sea glass and share / sell it online, David Kneas (University of South Carolina, USA) will explore authenticity as enacted in the context of discovery, resourceness and identity.

Finally, relying on her work on visual and sexual practices on social media, Katrin Tiidenberg (Tallinn University, Estonia), will speak to the role of pseudonymity in experiences of the authentic.

We will then open up to discussion with an intent to dialogue about the varied meanings, functions, and enactments of authenticity on social media.