#Crowded Conversations: The Impact of Diverse Audiences on Belongingness, Distinctiveness, and Authenticity

Abstract: Interpersonal communication has dramatically evolved from real-life to online interactions through social media networks. With this structure comes questions regarding how the online format and the large, varied audiences of generated content influence self-presentation and identity need satisfaction. This study examines the relationship between audience variability and sense of authenticity when online and assesses the mediational roles of belongingness and distinctiveness. Participants ( N = 545) were prescribed eight identities and answered questions regarding each identity and identity-related perceived variability in their social network audiences on platforms that included Facebook, Instagram, and X. Using multilevel modeling that focused on within-person, identity-level relations, audience diversity was found to relate positively to distinctiveness and negatively to belongingness. In turn, belongingness and distinctiveness were positively associated with online authenticity, confirming the hypothesized mediational paths. This relation was not found between-persons. Supplemental analyses indicated that X-users report the highest levels of distinctiveness and belongingness. The study has implications for understanding how individuals negotiate multiple identities across various platforms.