Lifestreaming is the sum of a person's digital parts, aggregated and monitored by others. The "digital self" that results is composed of particular types of information; it is a type of funhouse mirror, casting certain aspects of life into sharp relief but obscuring others. Lifestreamers can attempt to manage this self to create particular impressions, but the presence of a networked audience makes this challenging. Like self-branding, this management, if done "correctly," requires frequent, ongoing emotional labor. The lifestream is not a direct reflection of a person, but a strategic, edited simulacrum, one specifically configured to be viewed by an audience.

Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, loc. 547