Algorithmic selfing: An existential media analysis of time and identity

Abstract

This article conducts an existential media analysis of the temporalities favoured by algorithmic media and experienced by users and the related possibilities of selfhood. Specifically, I advance the concept of ‘algorithmic selfing’ to indicate a form of processual Self that is temporarily constructed and incessantly reconstructed within the temporal relationships individuals develop with algorithmic media. This process of algorithmic selfing occurs through three interrelated dynamics: (1) algorithmic individuation, (2) algorithmic transduction and (3) recursivity. The result is a ‘worldly dwelling’ that emerges in a relationship conflated with the objectives, logic and operations of tech companies. To do so, the article draws on empirical studies on digital time and identity, on the application of existential philosophy to media theory, on critical algorithm studies and communication theory. Building on this framework, the article explores the ontological and epistemological implications of the process of algorithmic selfing, offering insights for social, philosophical and media theory.