Constructing and Destructing Identity: Transness Online

Whether through Google searches, YouTube videos (Miller 2018; Jones 2019), or discussions in medical transition forums with other transgender people (Psihopidas 2017; Webster 2019), present research makes it evident that the internet has a large impact on how transgender people determine their sense of self. Rather than focusing solely on identity formation within one specific space on the internet, this thesis determines and discusses what best allows for developing a distinct identity, and how schisms are created through group identity formation. While much literature surrounding this topic is focused on positive development in online spaces, research regarding harassment and cyberbullying (Evelyn et al. 2022) will also contribute to the project overall as not all forms of self-discovery are perceived as positive, particularly in often anonymized spaces. As such, another aim here is to continue the conversation about how mental health and overall well-being are impacted by these online spaces both negatively and positively (Berger et al. 2022). Overall, this research will contribute to a further understanding of how identity creation occurs with the advent of new technologies and spaces of interaction, particularly with transgender individuals who have unique experiences in online areas due to the "lack [of] safe opportunities for identity development in their offline contexts" (McInroy and Craig 2020).