287 NEW TREND IN BUILDING SOCIAL MEDIA IDENTITY IN TURKEY: USING SELFIES Zafer Özdemir, Ph.D. Gelisim University, Turkey zozdemir@gelisim.edu.tr Aysel Çetinkaya Kocaeli University, Turkey aysel.cetinkaya@kocaeli.edu.tr Aysel ÇETINKAYA graduated from Marmara University Communication Faculty Department of Public Relations and Publicity in 2009. She received master degree from Marmara University Social Science Institute Public Relations Department. She worked at some public relations agencies and companies as customer relationship director and corporate communications specialist between 2007-2013. She has been working for Kocaeli University Communication Faculty Advertising Department as a research assistant since 2013. She has been studying Istanbul University S.S.I. Journalism Department Ph.D. (2012) and Kocaeli University S.S.I. Public Relations and Publicity Ph.D. Academic research areas includes topic on media economics, online journalism, new media and social media. Zafer ÖZDEMİR graduated with a degree from the Department of Journalism and Public Relation from Marmara University in 1988. In 1992 Ozdemir has taken masters degree from Marmara University Social Sciences Institude. Received him Ph.D. in Radio Television and Cinema at Istanbul University in 2007. Between 1986-ŗ997, he worked in various media companies (Gunaydın, Bugun, Sabah and TGRT TV). In 1997, he founded his own company. He has been working for Istanbul Gelisim University as an assistant profesor in departmant of new media. Academic research areas includes topics on new media, political communications, online journalism and advertising. Abstract In modern societies, the most important factors in building virtual identities are undoubtedly consumer goods and consumption patterns. Individual identities today (virtual identites) have increasingly become symbolic and replaceable concepts, not only quickly consumed but may also be purchased / traded. Especially in social media, individuals have begun to gain social visibility by sharing information about themselves via the underlying platforms. Individuals today can constantly reveal and express themselves via social media. By stiching every information (sometimes fictional) regarding their social environment, consumption habits, families and relationships, they form virtual identities. "Selfie" photos, which started to gain enormous popularity in Turkish social media recently, have become an important factor for building such identities. This study will furnish concepts such as reformation of identity through social media, symbolic and non- verbal communications, exhibitionism, self-presentation will be discussed using Goffman's theoretical approaches. In addition, peopleȂs Selfie habits will be measured by a survey. Keywords: Social media, selfie, self-presentation, photo