Open Access

ARTICLE

Self-Presentation on WeChat Moments and Ego Identity in Emerging Adults: The Role of Online Positive Feedback and Gender

Shuqing Wang¹, Xiaorui Zhu¹, Xin Gao², Jialing Deng³, Xiumei Yan^1,*
1 School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, China
2 Department of Ideological and Political Theory Teaching, Shanxi Vocational & Technical College of Finance & Trade, Taiyuan, 030031, China
3 Tourism Department, Nanchong Vocational College of Culture and Tourism, Nanchong, 637400, China
* Corresponding Author: Xiumei Yan. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological and Neural Foundations of Adolescent Mental Health)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.075412

Received 31 October 2025; Accepted 07 January 2026; Published online 16 January 2026

Abstract

Background: Emerging adulthood is a critical period for ego identity exploration and consolidation, and self-presentation on social media constitutes a salient online context for this developmental process. However, limited research has explored the associations between self-presentation on WeChat Moments and ego identity. This study aims to examine these associations, focusing on the mediating role of online positive feedback and the moderating role of gender. Methods: Using a three-wave longitudinal design, this study followed 767 Chinese college students (Mean age = 18.96 years) through cluster sampling. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing self-presentation on WeChat Moments, online positive feedback, and ego identity status. Data analyses were conducted using mediation modeling and multi-group structural equation modeling. Results: Authentic self-presentation was positively associated with identity achievement and negatively associated with identity diffusion, whereas positive self-presentation was linked to higher levels of identity foreclosure. Online positive feedback played a significant mediating role in the associations between self-presentation strategies and identity statuses, and gender differences were observed in this mediating pathway. For both males and females, authentic self-presentation was associated with higher identity achievement through online positive feedback. However, indirect associations with identity foreclosure and diffusion were observed only among females: authentic self-presentation was linked to lower levels, whereas positive self-presentation was linked to higher levels of foreclosure and diffusion through online positive feedback. No comparable indirect associations were detected among males. Conclusions: Online positive feedback is closely linked to self-presentation strategies and ego identity statuses, with these associations varying by gender.

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Keywords

Self-presentation on WeChat moments; ego identity; online positive feedback; emerging adults

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