Online Self-Praise and Self-Denigration as Used by Young People in Jordan

Utilizing Spencer-Oatey’s Rapport Management Theory, this study examines both self-praise and self-denigration used by young people on social media platforms in Jordan. The study aimed to identify self-praise and self-denigration strategies, their roles in rapport management, and their impact on gender roles. The data consist of 359 posts and comments collected from different social media networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Findings reveal three major self-praise strategies, ranked in order of frequency: self-praising for belonging, self-praising for personality and skills and self-praising for appearance. Conversely, self-denigration is mainly categorized into two strategies comprising self-denigrating for skills and self-denigrating for appearance, arranged by prevalence. These strategies illustrate different aspects of rapport management including face, sociality rights and interactional goals. This indicates how young people regulate self-expression for cultural acceptance and social rapport. The interplay between self-disclosures and cultural norms is particularly evident regarding expectations about gender roles in Jordan.