Works Cited

“Aesthetics 101.” Aesthetics Wiki, aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Aesthetics_101. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Agger, Ben. Oversharing: Presentations of Self in the Internet Age. Routledge, University of Texas at Arlington, 6 Feb. 2012, bgsp.edu/app/uploads/2014/12/Agger-Oversharing-Presentations-of-Self-in-the-Internet-Age.pdf. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025. This source introduced me to and expands upon Eric Goffman’s dramaturgical analogy: that even in real life, we are playing theatrical roles. Agger adds that the analogy constitutes a backstage as well, in which Agger argues that in the days of the digital world, we now lack a backstage due to constant oversharing. I used this source to expand again on this idea, relating to how “bedroom culture” of women and girls is also dwindling due to oversharing.

Anderson, Monica, and Jingjing Jiang. “Teens, Social Media & Technology.” Pew Research Center, 31 May 2018, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Faverio, Michelle, and Olivia Sidoti. “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 12 Dec. 2024, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-technology-2024/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Fisher-Quann, Rayne. “Micro-Individuality.” Internetprincess.substack.com, Substack, 20 Jan. 2023, internetprincess.substack.com/p/micro-individuality. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Fisher-Quann, Rayne. “Standing on the Shoulders of Complex Female Characters.” Internetprincess.substack.com, Substack, 6 Feb. 2022, internetprincess.substack.com/p/standing-on-the-shoulders-of-complex. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Goffman, Erving. “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.” University of Edinburgh, 1959. Inspired by the Shakespeare quote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” in As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII, Eric Goffman introduces the concept of dramaturgical analogy, in which he argues that even in real life, we are still playing theatrical roles. This source is necessary background information for Ben Agger’s book.

O’Neill, Shane. “Why Everything Is “Aesthetic” to Gen Z and Alpha.” The Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/style/trends/2025/12/12/aesthetic-gen-z-meaning/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.

Palmer, Abby. “Consumercore: The Girl Commodification and Girl Romanticization of Girl Self Because Girl Internet Said So.” Ohiolink.edu, Edited by Viktoria Viktorova Marinova and Beth Novak, 2024, etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=ouhonors1715431975437122&disposition=inline. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025. This BASc Thesis by Abby Palmer at Ohio University introduced me to other relevant sources such as Mina Le’s YouTube video essays and Rayne Fisher-Quann’s Substack newsletter, “internet princess.” Palmer explores her own personal experiences being a girl online, as well as a deep dive into content on the feeds of Gen Z women, giving me material to support my own essay.

regulargal. “Baby, Where the Hell Is My Urban Outfitters Corset Top?” Substack.com, soobstack, 4 Dec. 2025, sueyun.substack.com/p/baby-where-the-hell-is-my-urban-outfitters?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fpersonal%2520style&utm_medium=reader2. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

Ruth, Michael. “Panopticon | EBSCO.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com, EBSCO, 2024, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/panopticon. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025. This source gives background on the panopticon, a penitentiary structure designed by Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century, in which prisoners’ rooms surround a single guard tower in the middle of the circular building to promote good behavior. I am relating this design to social media, referencing the idea that you don’t know who will see what you post online.

Substack. “SJ.” Substack.com, 1 Dec. 2025, substack.com/@aguytalks/p-180384854. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025. SJ, a prominent fashion influencer (@aguytalks on Instagram and Substack) with 52.2k followers on Instagram examines in this source the recent phenomenon on social media of finding your own personal style. He reflects upon historical fashion trends, “Peasants copied traders copied Kings,” and how the rise of Capitalism led to a rise in hyper-individualism and performance over functionality of garments.

Tiffany, Kaitlyn. “Cottagecore Was Just the Beginning.” The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2021, www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/02/aesthetics-wiki-cottagecore-tumblr-tiktok/617923/. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025. This source takes a formal approach to explaining the popularity of aesthetics. The article is notably published to The Atlantic, a popular journalism publication known for publishing highly acclaimed literary works since 1857. I used this essay for background information on and an exploration of the Aesthetics Wiki.