Self-Disclosure in Introverted Individuals on Social Media from Erving Goffman's Dramaturgical Perspective

Social media platform X allows individuals to express themselves in ways they cannot in the real world. This study explores the self-disclosure strategies of introverts on platform X, using Alfred Schutz's phenomenology and Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory to understand their motives and meanings. Nine informants, introverted in real life but extroverted on social media, reveal that anonymity on the "front stage" allows them to be more open and liberated, even among those with gender inversion. These introverts feel free to express themselves due to a lack of friends who share similar traits and understand their circumstances. In real life, they are very closed off with both peers and family. Platform X becomes a medium for self-expression because it offers anonymity and the freedom to be whoever they want.