Mask and identity in the information society: from the Jungian persona to digital self-presentation

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of the social mask (persona) in the context of contemporary information environment. Drawing on the concept of Carl Gustav Jung, the study analyzes the process of identification between the individual and their social role, as well as its transformation under conditions of digitalization. Particular attention is paid to demonstrative practices, the formation of digital identity, the increasing role of self-presentation in online environments, and the risks of losing the authentic self. The paper argues that digital platforms intensify the expansion of the persona, turning it from a mechanism of social adaptation into a dominant mode of identity construction. As a result, the boundaries between the internal self and its external representation become blurred, leading to a growing dependence on external recognition and the reduction of personal complexity. The study concludes that the risks identified in classical theory acquire new significance in the digital age, where the persona increasingly replaces, rather than represents, the individual.