The Authenticity Paradox: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Generation Z’s Self-Presentation on Social Media - A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Generation Z, Integrated authenticity, Authenticity Paradox, Social Media, Self-Presentation Strategies, Digital Identity, Systematic ReviewAbstract
Generation Z (Gen Z) experiences a sustained authenticity dilemma within social media environments, characterised by a structural tension between an expressed preference for “genuine” self-presentation and platform architectures that systematically reward curated, idealised forms of performance. Although authenticity has traditionally been approached within psychological and identity-centred literatures, it has been comparatively under-examined as a decision-oriented construct operating within digitally mediated and algorithmically structured environments. Based on a systematic synthesis of 39 peer-reviewed academic studies, this research reconceptualises authenticity as a formally structured evaluative mechanism that emerges through interaction with algorithmically governed social media ecosystems. The study advances the Integrated Authenticity Framework, which posits that perceived authenticity is produced through the dynamic interplay of four interdependent dimensions: consistency, conformity, connection, and continuity. From a multi-criteria decision-making standpoint, authenticity is framed as a graded, situationally contingent outcome shaped by how these dimensions are configured under conditions of bounded rationality. By systematising authenticity as an evaluative decision process rather than a fixed trait, the paper extends theoretical understanding within decision sciences and generates transferable insights for digital communication scholarship, platform governance debates, digital marketing strategy, and organisational communication within algorithmically mediated contexts.
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