Building on previous online-ethnographic fieldwork on the
#strokesurvivor-community on Instagram, this contribution dives deeper into practices of
echo-locating (Markham 2020) the vulnerable self on Instagram. This paper aims to
reconstruct practices of adapting to a new body, identity and self through communicating on
Instagram from a symbolic-interactionist perspective. I build on Goffman’s concept of
stigma, Charmaz’ studies on adapting to illness and impairment and use the lens of Markham’s
(2020) concept of echo-locating the self through online connection, Based on close readings
and interpretations of postings, including pictures, captions and comments, as well as
interviews with active community members, two critical antipodes of sense- and self-making
in the #strokesurvivor-community emerged: First, mourning the loss of the familiar body,
self, and identity and related identity goals. Users seek permission to mourn and also
validation for their grief through their postings and comments. Second, and probably
oppositional, perseverance, or in its extreme form, toxic positivity - this concept refers
to a (more or less forced) attitude of optimism while ignoring valid reasons to actually not
be positive, a mindset that seems to be embedded in a “contemporary cult of happiness”
(Wright 2014) and cruel optimism (Berlant 2010). In the #strokesurvivor-community, a
positive mindset and belief in the possibility of regaining physical and mental functions is
a recurring theme and strong imperative. The contribution focuses on the reconstruction of
patterns and practices of mourning and perseverance and their relevance to the echo-location
of the vulnerable self.
“I STARTED THE DAY JUST CRYING FOR 2 HOURS STRAIGHT.” ECHO-LOCATING THE
VULNERABLE SELF ON INSTAGRAM.