Digital Visibility and Symbolic Capital Accumulation in Social Media—An Analysis Based on Capital Theory and Self-Presentation Theory

Abstract

Metrics of interaction on social media can be used to quantify the spread of information, and this spread will affect how influential a person is. Based on the concept of capital theory by Bourdieu and the idea of self-presentation theory by Goffman, this paper believes that visibility is the result of platform algorithm allocation and user strategic presentation; thus, continuous attention can be transformed into symbolic capital and generate monetary profit. Competition for attention may lead to problems of anxiety about being forgotten and digital division, so both need to be addressed by means of algorithmic governance and media literacy, etc. This paper has extended the range of explanation for the old school theory in the digital age to some extent and put forward a new view of digital social stratification.