Personaalsus

Personaalsus is a theoretical concept in social and digital identity studies that describes the ongoing production and management of multiple personal personas across different social contexts. The term, a portmanteau of persona (mask) and a suffix indicating a state or condition, is used to discuss how individuals tailor behavior, speech, and digital footprints to suit diverse audiences, norms, or privacy settings, particularly in online environments where audiences from different spheres may intersect. The concept emphasizes that self-presentation is situated and contingent rather than fixed, with audiences, platforms, and situational cues shaping which facets of the self are foregrounded at any given time.

Core ideas include impression management, audience design, and context-specific identity work. Personaalsus highlights the role of platform affordances, privacy controls, and algorithmic curation in enabling or constraining persona switching. It relates to established notions such as Goffman's face-work and impression management, while stressing fluidity and multiplicity of online selves beyond a single coherent core. Researchers study personaalsus through qualitative interviews, discourse analysis of posts and messages, and digital trace data to observe how individuals navigate authenticity, credibility, and privacy. Critics argue that the concept risks vagueness and overlaps with existing theories about identity and self-presentation, and call for clearer definitions and measurable criteria. Usage spans social media studies, online gaming, workplace communications, and digital dating, where understanding persona switches can inform design, policy, and ethical discussions about consent and surveillance.