Can Merton's reference group theory be relevant in understanding 'identity making' in digital world? Explain. (Answer in 150 words)

- Can Merton's reference group theory be relevant in understanding 'identity making' in digital world? Explain. (Answer in 150 words)
Introduction
Merton's reference groups travel into digital life, though not intact.

Body

1. The theory, briefly: People judge themselves against groups they do not belong to as much as those they do — the relative deprivation of The American Soldier — and adopt the standards of groups they hope to enter, which is Merton's anticipatory socialisation.

2. Where it explains digital identity: Online life multiplies non-membership reference groups and displays their standards without requiring entry: influencers, fan communities, professional feeds. Follower counts make comparison continuous rather than episodic, and anticipatory socialisation is visible as young users rehearse the speech and opinions of groups they have never met.

3. Where digital settings strain it: Merton assumed the actor picks his reference group; recommendation systems now supply it. Audiences collapse as well, so kin, employer and friends receive a single performance, which Goffman's front and back regions do not accommodate.

4. A verdict: Relevant, once the theory treats the reference group as partly assigned rather than chosen.

Conclusion
The mechanism holds; what has changed is who controls the mirror.