Postmodern consumer identity projects on social media: Skincare consumer tribe

This study extends Gergen's concept of the "saturated self," which refers to the loss of authentic self due to the use of digital technologies, into the realm of the skin care consumer tribe. It aims to explore how consumers' consumption-based relationships on social media shape their identity. We conducted 13 semi-structured interviews with skincare enthusiasts who follow social media influencers producing skincare content. We utilised hermeneutical analysis to interpret the findings in the light of postmodern consumer identity projects. Our study reveals an identity transformation: consumers' naive identity transforms in the fragmented nature of social media amid the multiplicity of voices and conflicting information, yielding a more informed and discerning consumer identity. Even though we have not observed a 'saturated self' within the skin care consumer tribe, this new identity still experiments with different values in social media trends and faces dilemmas. We contribute to the growing research stream on identity projects of consumers, one of the key research areas within consumer culture theory, by demonstrating the agency of postmodern consumers on social media. These consumers critically analyse whom to follow on social media and prioritise their values so that Gergen's "saturated self" is not realised in this tribe.