An analysis on the use of space as a strategy of self-presentation

This study aims to examine the self-presentation strategies that individuals develop through spatial representations. These strategies are not only displayed via social media but also become recognizable and interpretable within the digital context. In this framework, spatial representations emerge as readable and analyzable indicators of one's digital identity; the visual and textual content related to space shared on social media functions as a significant component of self-narratives. The core motivation of this research is to understand how individuals manage multilayered processes such as social visibility, identity construction, and symbolic value production by strategically utilizing physical spaces within the environment of digital culture. Accordingly, the study centers on the concept of the utilization of space as a self-presentation strategy and analyzes individuals' motivations for spatial sharing on social media, their level of competence in these strategies, and the relationship between these strategies and tendencies toward self-objectification. The sample consists of 154 students enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture at Akdeniz University. The selection of this specific group is based on the assumption that architectural education cultivates a heightened awareness and sensitivity toward space and its representation. The study adopts a quantitative methodology, utilizing a questionnaire that includes five-point Likert-scale items as its primary data collection tool. The collected data were analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The findings reveal that individuals' spatial representations on social media are clustered under three primary motivational dimensions: (1) Narrative-driven use (constructing personal narratives and digital memory), (2) approval-driven use (seeking likes and social validation), and (3) prestige-driven use (demonstrating social status and cultural capital). Additionally, these motivations are evaluated across two distinct competence dimensions: (a) Conscious performance capacity (strategic representation) and (b) interpersonal appeal generation (natural affinity orientation). Furthermore, spatial representations are found to be shaped by two axes of self-objectification: The objectification of the self and the aesthetic objectification of space. The study also identifies a tendency among individuals to adopt defensive self-presentation tactics such as self-handicapping, making excuses, and providing justifications, more prominently. This indicates a strategic inclination toward self-presentation aimed at avoiding negative evaluations in digital spaces. The results demonstrate that the experience of space has evolved beyond a merely physical encounter and has been transformed through social media culture into a narrative of identity constructed via digital representations. Individuals employ space as a means of expression and visibility within digital platforms, thereby enhancing the representational value of space in identity construction. Ultimately, the utilization of space as a self-presentation strategy reflects the way individuals evaluate space not merely as a passive background element, but as an active tool in constructing personal narratives, shaping representational identities, and producing symbolic value in the context of digital identity performance.