Социальные сети: как питомцы становятся частью цифровой идентичности и семейных ценностей

If you use social media, you’ve probably noticed a plethora of animal photos – on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and other platforms. Some people dedicate accounts exclusively to their pets, with some of these animals  gaining notoriety and wealth as “pet influencers.” Others share their daily lives through pictures of interactions with their companion animals. And the tech industry has responded with new  platforms such as Petzbe  and other  apps  and  communities  for pets and their families. This online behaviour reflects the growing importance of companion animals in people’s lives. 97 per cent of pet guardians in the United States  consider their pets to be family  and  82 per cent in Canada  feel the same. As a researcher  and clinician, I am interested in understanding the bond between people and companion animals. In my  recent book  for mental health professionals, I explore how companion animals shape human behaviours online. I also examine why people post pet-related content online: to reveal aspects of their personal identities, communicate their values or status and build community for themselves. An expression of identity When people post photos of their companion animals online, or create social media accounts dedicated specifically to them, their behaviour is likely influenced by  a combination of psychological, social and cultural factors. Often, they will create a persona for the animal, attributing thoughts, emotions and sometimes a surprisingly  complex emotional world  to them. This behaviour by pet guardians can be understood as a form of public self-representation. Through these accounts, pet guardians selectively present aspects of themselves – or of their relationships with their companion animals – to create a public persona. This may also help foster a  sense of community,  communicate values or messages  and reveal  aspects of their identity – often by presenting the companion animal as a family member or a close friend. Joy, community and social status One  2021 study  interviewed 23 people with pet Instagram accounts to better understand why they posted photos of their pets and dedicated so much time to it. The participants’ answers showed that, for many of them, it was a way of expressing their own identity – an extension of the self. For some, these accounts also allowed them to share joy, humour and other emotions, and were driven by a desire to belong. For others, their accounts offered a way of creating community around their companion animals. These accounts can also help people support causes that are important to them, such as animal welfare, or share information about companion animal health and care. Another study in 2020 also found that sharing photos of their cats on Reddit helped people  strengthen their sense of identity and their sense of belonging  to certain communities. This study also revealed a connection between pets and status. Having a companion animal and sharing a lifestyle around that animal may serve as a way of communicating social status to others. Gen Z, millennials spend more Researching these online behaviours helps us understand what’s meaningful to people who share their lives with companion animals. It offers insights into the relationships they value, and the kinds of emotional bonds that shape their identity and how they see themselves. 35 per cent of pet guardians have  set up online accounts for their pets, according to one survey with 2,000 respondents globally. 28 per cent of pet guardians even  spend money on their pets online accounts. And, considering that pet guardianship has been growing among younger generations, it’s not surprising that  Gen Z and millennial  pet guardians are most likely to spend time and money creating online content featuring pets. Interspecies families Social media expands a bond that already exists. It creates a space where that relationship can become stronger while becoming public and shared. Very often, when people talk about their companion animals, they are also talking about themselves – about the things they value and the experiences that shape who they are. One interesting study of German-speaking Instagram from 2024 claims that these accounts may function as a  space where people build a social discourse about an “interspecies” family. In this way, creating a persona around a pet and speaking about them as babies or children can help to communicate kinship ties, rather than ownership. Pet loss and memorials Online pet accounts aren’t just cute. They are testimony to the important emotional role companion animals occupy in the lives of an increasing number of people. Increasingly, online communities involving pet-related content help to provide emotional comfort and support. For example, there are now several Facebook communities entirely dedicated to pet loss, where memorial pages create a  space for people to receive support  after the death of a companion animal. People caring for a seriously ill companion animal may also use these spaces to share their experiences and connect with others going through similar situations. Connection through storytelling Social media platforms where people create content about their animal companions are more than just spaces for cute photos. They allow pet guardians to express emotions, tell their stories, find support and connect with others through important interspecies relationships in their lives. Understanding these relationships in online contexts may offer insights not only into this cultural practice itself, but also into broader changes in the ways people build relationships, seek support and define who they are. DM This article is republished from  The Conversation  under a Creative Commons license. Read the  original article.