the constructed self in media
Jacques Lacan’s theory of the mirror stage suggests that identity is fundamentally constructed through external reflection. In other words, images that shape our sense of self. In contemporary media culture, this reflection has evolved beyond physical mirrors into digital screens of our time - our phones and algorithmic social media feeds.
Media no longer simply represents identity; it actively constructs it. Marshall McLuhan prophesied this decades ago as an abstract prediction. Not only was he correct, but we now live within this context. It is our time. We know the specifics and we now know their names.
As individuals interact with increasingly sophisticated media systems, the boundaries between self-perception and external projection blur.
How do media technologies not only literally mediate, but actively constitute personal identity?
Algorithmic Identity
Lacan proposed that identity is always fractured, constructed through the tension between the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real. In the digital age, this fragmentation is amplified by algorithmic mediation, where media platforms act as mirrors that do not simply reflect identity but actively shape it in real-time. The Imaginary—the realm of images and idealized self-conceptions—finds a new home in curated digital personas and hyperreal aesthetics. The Symbolic, encompassing language and social structures, manifests in the algorithmic logic that dictates online engagement, subtly enforcing norms, values, and roles. The Real, that which resists symbolic articulation, surfaces in moments of dissonance—when algorithmic predictions fail, when users feel alienated from their own curated personas, or when the gap between digital self-representation and lived experience becomes unbridgeable. This interplay results in a self that is not only mediated but perpetually reconstructed in response to the shifting dynamics of digital platforms.
The TikTok algorithm as a subject-constructing mirror
TikTok’s hyper-personalized algorithm doesn’t just suggest content—it shapes user identity by reinforcing behavioral patterns. Over time, users don’t merely watch content; they emulate what they consume. This reflects Lacan’s idea that subjectivity is always constructed through an external gaze. The TikTok feed becomes the new "mirror stage," a dynamic, evolving reflection that conditions identity formation through digital engagement.
If identity is always mediated, then the contemporary self is increasingly a brand—a constructed narrative optimized for digital consumption. Social media platforms demand self-presentation that aligns with aspirational values, making personal identity a performative act.
On LinkedIn, professionals do not merely present qualifications; they construct branded versions of themselves, strategically curating their digital personas to align with market expectations. This reflects Lacan’s Symbolic Order—the structured system of language and social codes that individuals must navigate to construct a coherent identity.
If identity has always been constructed through external reflections, does it matter whether those reflections are human or algorithmic?
The question of authenticity becomes increasingly complex as AI-generated content evolves beyond simple executions of tools into more active participants in cultural and personal identity formation.
Lacan’s theory suggests that identity is never fixed—it is always mediated by external images and narratives. Today, those mediators are increasingly AI-driven, algorithmic, and hyperreal. The future of identity will not merely be about how we consume media, but how media consumes and reconstructs us. These are the principles first established by Marshall McLuhan - most often wrapped in a misunderstood quote, “the medium is the message”. What was once a prophetic tagline has now clearly come full circle, represented in many ways through the pervasive influence of social media, packed up in a device that fits in your back pocket or purse.
The self, once an organic construct, has become a fluid entity—its reflection determined by the gaze of an algorithmic Other, of which we are all collectively a part.
