Performing Realness: Constructing Authenticity Amid Algorithmic and Market Pressures

Abstract

In the algorithm-driven landscape of digital media, streaming content creators face the paradox of remaining true to themselves while meeting the market’s demand for engagement and visibility. This study explores how creators actively construct and perform authenticity in the face of commercial and algorithmic pressures. Using a qualitative research design grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study draws on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with ten experienced digital creators across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch. Findings indicate that authenticity is not an innate or stable trait, but a continuously negotiated identity shaped by audience expectations, monetization structures, and emotional self-regulation. Creators often adopt strategic forms of “curated realness,” balancing vulnerability with relatability to maintain audience trust while adhering to platform logics. Three central themes emerged: internal conflict between self-expression and platform optimization, the commodification of personal narratives, and the role of peer support and self-reflection in safeguarding creative integrity. Rather than being passive recipients of platform demands, creators exhibit agency by redefining what it means to be authentic in digital spaces. This study provides new insight into the emotional labor and ethical decision-making embedded in content creation and offers valuable implications for media scholars, platform designers, and creator support programs in managing the human dimensions of digital labor.