First written in 1956 by a former sociologist and president of the American Sociological Association, Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life takes a micro-level approach to explain changes in daily life. individual behavior in relation to various situational contexts within social interaction. Goffman establishes and analyzes the processes through which we modify our behavior in order to alter or manage the impressions we give off. To apply Goffman's theories in a contemporary context, it is important to first understand and recognize the main concepts outlined in his work. To begin with, performance can be defined as “all the activity of a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in some way some of the other participants” (Goffman 1956:8). A performance is central to every social interaction. It can be seen as the way participants interact, react and give meaning to their meeting. The audience is therefore the person or people who observe your performance. They become very influential in how the interaction occurs, as the performer will constantly modify his behavior in an attempt to get or receive the desired response from the audience. Likewise, the setting of an interaction is central in determining the type of behavior displayed. For example, behavior in an upper-class formal restaurant will undoubtedly be different from the behavior that patrons will display while socializing in a local pub. Appearance “can be understood as referring to those stimuli which at that moment function to tell us the social status of the actor” (Goffman 1956:15). Therefore, an individual's appearance portrays his or her current social status or role within society. A person wearing a white coat can cause...... middle of paper......ide. Through careful preparation the actor is able to present only the most positive and desirable aspects of his or her identity (or false identity). In the most extreme cases, these interactions can become dangerous when sexually abusive adults pose as children online to lure them into harmful or potentially life-threatening situations. As society changes and technology advances, the methods and frequency of social interaction will undoubtedly change with It. However, no matter how drastic these changes, Goffman's conceptualizations of the presentation of the self in social interaction will remain true. As long as the human race exists and as long as social interaction between people takes place, Goffman's ideas will always remain present. The challenge lies in our interpretation of these concepts and our effective, or ineffective, application to everyday life.