As we have seen, the current theories on self-presentation are able to explain a significant part
of self-presentational behaviour in social networking sites like Facebook. This commonality
could be because the self-presentation mechanism is such an important part of our everyday
behaviour, and so strongly attached to our self-concept, that it works after the same patterns in
most settings. However, while Facebook is suitable for self-presentational studies because of
its high level of interpersonal interaction it does not mean that it is representative for other
online environments. It may be that the arguments in this paper were only relevant for a
highly individuated SNS, and would not be applicable to other forms of computer-mediated
communication, such as company communication platforms. Although self-presentation may
occur here as well, phenomena like Computer-Mediated Tactility would be a distraction to the
professional efficacy demanded on these communication platforms.
Furthermore, Goffman and Leary’s approaches to self-presentation were developed
with a non-computerised environment in mind, and therefore it is possible that some of the
phenomena can better be explained with amendments. The idea of Detached SelfPresentation,
for instance, helps integrating Goffman’s front and back area model into the
concept of online self-presentation – it opens for a person being simultaneously in a front and
a back area. I have suggested that self-presentational theories should pay more heed to such
things as the level of self-monitoring and self-esteem. These suggestions may very well have
been implemented in other theories of self-presentation. However, it is my belief that these
aspects should be thoroughly considered in future studies of self-presentation.