Who are we and who are we becoming within social network sites?

The presented thesis aims to analyze the impact of social networking sites (SNS) in shaping our identity. Especially in the context of changes in everyday life caused by significant increase of SNS users. Unlike previous forms of online identity the identity of SNS users is anchored in the reality. Therefore our identity performance in this environment is closely tied to our real identity and real social network. Part of the thesis describe the influence of real social network on our lives, particularly the strong of weak ties is discussed. The analysis is focused on the processes and forms in which is our identity constructed and manifested within social networking sites. Detailed consideration is aimed on narrative and fragmentary characteristics of such identity. Also the consequences of total indexing of user-generated content and its persistent features are examined. This topic is followed by setting the framework of reputation management and protection of personal data. The findings of research present the forms of user identity on Facebook, the use of privacy settings and in particular the importance of the size of the networks of friends. The relationship between socialization in SNS and in the real world is described