- Time collapse is an expansion of {1.2a2} context collapse and posits that social media blurs the boundaries between past and present, making it more difficult for us to manage how we perform identity online. We are always changing, but social media collapses our identities and performances across time into a nonlinear “lifelog” of posts.
- This collapse is characterized by three things:
- Using full names, which attaches your digital footprint to your offline identity.
- Content archives make it possible for old digital traces of identity to resurface and “disrupt” how we’re currently see ourselves or perform ourselves online.
- Archives being searchable by others can lead us to stricter self-management and prevent us from sharing “authentically” online.
- 2026-02-16 think this helps explain influencers and internet personalities being bound to a given audience / age demo. it’s probably harder for them to have their “coming of age” moment (a la teen stars)…