Self-Expression, Self-Actualization, and Media Experimentation (SESAME):
A Dialogue and Ruminations

A symposium co-located with the ASIS&T 2026 Annual Meeting

Bangkok, Thailand • November 2026

Sponsors: U.S. West Chapter, SIG-USE


Social media platforms create opportunities for people to connect not only with others, but also with themselves. Interacting and engaging with social media can allow for people to form better understandings of themselves through content creation and content feed curation. Platform-mediated social feedback from other users, such as comments, likes, votes, and reposts, can also shape identity development, informing how one might view their own interests and presentation in relation to others. Different platforms allow for different modes of self-expression and self-reflection, allowing for a variety of ways with which people can tell their own stories.


In this symposium, we invite everyone to contribute to a collective exploration of self-making and communication through different forms of media. Relevant considerations include:


  • How do people express themselves online and contribute to their own online experiences? To what extent do these forms of self-expression change over time?
  • What are the processes that underlie identity formation and development in online spaces? To what extent are they iterative, dynamic, or even static?
  • How does the structure and design of different social media platforms mediate self-expression online? How have these platform-mediated venues and self-reflective processes changed over time?
  • What might the future of self-expression online look like, given the general motivations and direction of social media platforms? How do these motivations aid or hinder users in relation to self-expression?
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

This symposium is an in-person event co-located at the ASIS&T 2026 annual meeting. We seek to bring together researchers, practitioners, and students interested in exploring the intersection of media and self-expression, aiming to welcome a diverse audience of experiences, perspectives, and disciplines. No technical expertise or prior formalized experience with research in this space is required.


Additionally, we encourage interested attendees to engage in a participatory experience in the timeframe leading up to the symposium, where they will have an opportunity to create their own social media content as a way to engage with self-expressive and self-reflective processes firsthand through a guided asynchronous activity.


We will accept three different types of submissions. You can submit to one or more options, or attend the symposium as a participant.


Option A — “Demo”
Submit content of your own reflecting Self-Expression, Self-Actualization, and Media Experimentation (SESAME)!
Submit at least 5 items of content. We recognize that there are differences across content (e.g., 5 Reddit posts, 5 TikToks, and 5 tattoos are not all the same), so there is some latitude here for your interpretation! You can also submit any combination of items, for example, 3 Reddit posts and 3 Instagram videos...

The content you submit will be used in a small-group collaborative and explorative activity on the day of the symposium.

Option B — “Reflection”
Submit a summary, introduction, and/or reflection on your SESAME content creation experiences. This reflection should be 500-1500 words, excluding the bibliography (if there is one).


You can submit to both Options A and B, or just A, or just B! Submit A & B entries here.


For more detailed instructions for Options A and B, as well as additional guidance on creating social media and participating in the pre-symposium content creation experience, view the A & B participation instructions here.



Option C — “Classic”
Submit a work that aligns with the symposium theme. This can be completed research, research-in-progress, exploratory academic analyses, syntheses, or commentaries.


Participants can submit (use the ASIS&T template):

  • Short papers (up to 4 pages, not including references)
  • Posters (up to 2 pages, not including references)

For Option C, please submit here.

Option D — “Participant”
Enjoy the content and engage in collective brainstorming and experimentation at the symposium without submitting anything!

IMPORTANT DATES

Participation instructions available: June 15, 2026 June 22, 2026

Submissions due:

Options A & B: August 10, 2026

Option C: August 3, 2026

Notifications: September 3, 2026

For inquiries, contact: asist.us.west@gmail.com

PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Sharon H. Wong Independent Scholar
Annie T. Chen University of Washington
Maja Krtalić Victoria University of Wellington
Alison Day Victoria University of Wellington
Yu Chi San Jose State University
Hayley Park University of Maryland
Mimi Martin University of Washington
Ella Zhou University of Washington
SCHEDULE

The schedule may shift to accommodate the assigned symposium time and the nature of submissions.


Introduction, Short Papers & Posters 1:00pm – 1:05pm   Welcome and overview (5 mins.)
1:05pm – 1:55pm   Paper & Poster presentations (50 mins.)
1:55pm – 2:15pm   Breakout discussions (20 mins.)
2:15pm – 2:20pm   Break (5 mins.)
Demos & Reflections 2:20pm – 2:40pm   Demo lightning talks (20 mins.)
2:40pm – 3:10pm   Reflection presentations (30 mins.)
3:10pm – 3:30pm   Breakout discussions (20 mins.)
3:30pm – 4:00pm   Coffee break (30 mins.)
Explorative Activity 4:00pm – 4:05pm   Introduction (5 mins.)
4:05pm – 4:40pm   Discussion (35 mins.)
4:40pm – 5:00pm   Sharing (20 mins.)