Literature Review

My project is the research of the 'saturated self,' a term coined by Kenneth Gergen. It is the idea that people absorb a plethora of information, perspectives, ideas, etc, that self identity is lost in a blur of information. With the technology advancements in the past century, one is more prone to become the 'saturated self.' This saturation leads to an overchoice of decisions. With every value, an inevitable doubt arises counteracting that value. Gergen states, “each voice of value stands to discredit all that does not meet its standards (77).” The media’s ‘powers of artifice’ of many values are much more persuasive than actual reality or experiences(57). As time passes, many of these values, perspectives, etc are re-defined by new ideas or perspectives. This need for defining, redefining, etc is so that one continues to be a rational, structured being that does not search for answers based on emotions or looking for meaning beyond what is seen.

The reasons why saturation continues to be so prominent is our strong culturally ties to technology. To not be embedded in the digital age, as said by David Silver, makes you culturally unfit. Michael Wesch reiterates the importance of the conforming to this cultural norm because it shows who has the means and the power to access the digital space. For human beings to not conform to the cultural norms would be irrational or even just plain crazy.

Facebook and Myspace are example of some cultural norms within the digital age. These mediums of communication are used to create a large interconnectedness between people. This medium, unlike the email, one is able to shape some sort of an identity for oneself. Through this medium, however, Clive Thompson notes that not just one user, but other users can shape one’s identity as well with their wall posts, or pictures. So there’s a resulting mixture of people’s perspectives of a user. Attempts to create a bounded identity on Facebook with precise parameters and clear lines are unrealistic in the digital. Other users have the awareness and control to manipulate that identity.

These bounded identities are usually where one can see the discredit of values. A value that one person might try to uphold would quickly be disregarded by another value that intimidates the preceding value, which inevitable leaves one in a state of self-doubt. How does one have a bounded identity, if the boundaries of perspectives, ideas and values are blurred? If one looks at early 20th century ideas, identity had an entirely different meaning that was redefined by new ideas. Charles Comyns Tucker said in “On the Doctrine of Personal Identity,” “Sense of identity is a universal fact of consciousness, and nothing that does not destroy consciousness can divest a rational being of it." This viewpoint from 1906 argues, that regardless of any circumstance, a conscious, healthy mind is capable of having an identity. When reflecting back to the saturated self, it is a conscious struggle to form and identiy even if one rationalizes and conforms to the culture. To explain the reasons of such behavior is a part of human complexity that has been 'historically and culturally disjunctural (Whitehead).'


The largest limitation that I have found with the saturated self is the neglect to address the identity or self that is formed out of this social saturation. What is the end result to having overchoice, blurred lines, and social saturation? Does it produce cycles of stress and anxiety in individuals, or even depression? In order to address this, perhaps it would be fitting to have some psychological views of the media and its effect on an individual.
Another hole in Gergen’s study, is that he does not use much empirical evidence when discussing the saturated self. He does give examples, but it would be appropriate to add in the current social mediums of communication, especially on the internet. I used Clive Thompson’s example of media ecology to support this need of applying current case studies.