Curated Selves, Fractured Society: How Digital Identity Performance Mirrors And Magnifies Social Stratification

Abstract

This paper argues that the pervasive cultural practice of digitally curating one's identity functions as a potent new engine of social stratification. Moving beyond the view of social media as a mere reflection of inequality, we contend it actively reproduces and deepens existing social hierarchies through three interconnected mechanisms: aesthetic labor that performs class distinction, capital conversion that monetizes identity, and psychological stratification that internalizes inequality. Employing a comparative qualitative case study design, this research analyzes influencers Sophie Shohet ("quiet luxury" aesthetic) and Brittany Broski ("relatable authenticity" aesthetic) to demonstrate how Pierre Bourdieu's forms of capital economic, cultural, and social are converted within the digital attention economy. The findings reveal a vicious cycle where aesthetic performance creates distinction that is monetized, fueling further performance and exacerbating both economic and psychological inequality. This process is insidiously masked by a neoliberal narrative of individual choice and entrepreneurialism, legitimizing these deepened fractures. The paper concludes that recognizing this dynamic is crucial for reimagining a digital public sphere that prioritizes connection over competition and solidarity over stratification.