Ever wonder about the impact of profile photos? If so, there's a piece on social psychology research and self portraits at Mashable you'll want to read: http://mashable.com/2013/02/15/social-media-and-the-selfie/

In it, there's a great point by +Pamela Rutledge about our tailored representations of self being based on social spaces across on/offline interactions. We use different photos and content based on our connections in and goals for a specific social medium, much like choosing an outfit based on the event we are headed to. One difference, though, is that all of our online profiles are present simultaneously, while our physical adaptations exist asynchronously in their own time and space.

I wonder whether this segmentation of self is generational, based on expectations for in-person interactions. Maybe the divided self will disappear as online interactions are replicated offline, instead of vice versa. Self destructing, instantaneous photo communication could turn all of our notions of self representation on end. Check out this perceptive piece about Snapchat and how “the sexting app” stereotype misses a huge shift in mobile, photos, and communication http://pandodaily.com/2012/12/16/calling-snapchat-the-sexting-app-misses-a-huge-shift-in-mobile-photos-and-communication/

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