Self‐Disclosure and Self‐Presentation

Self‐disclosure and self‐presentation are two related yet distinct communication processes that both reflect and influence how people associate with others. Self‐disclosure is the intentional sharing of personal information about oneself with one or more people and is a key factor in the development and management of interpersonal relationships. Self‐presentation, often referred to as impression management, is a process in which people try to present themselves in a certain way in order to influence how other people view the self. Self‐disclosure and self‐presentation play a central role in communication since both have a direct impact on how people achieve personal and relational outcomes. They are instrumental to expressing and managing a self‐concept and developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. However, self‐disclosure and self‐presentation behaviors change when people communicate using new and digital media due to challenges that include large and unknown audiences, privacy concerns, and various technological affordances. People are often exposed to large and unknown audiences when they communicate online which leads to issues of audience management, challenges in how to address each audience, and privacy concerns. Also, the specific qualities of a mediated channel can influence how people disclose information and present themselves to others. Future research in this area should continue to conduct a comprehensive investigation of mediated self‐disclosure and self‐presentation processes and how they are influenced by the changing media landscape.