Learning Objectives:

o Discuss about online identity and their self in cyberspace and User ID
o Expound selective self-presentation and impression management
o Evaluate the impact of online interactions on the self
o Establish boundaries of the online self: private vs. public, personal vs. social identity
online; gender and sexuality online.

The world is at the tip of your fingers.

Digital Self
The digital self refers to a person's online persona and identity, which may differ from their
real-world identity. An individual's online identity is shaped by how they present themselves
across various websites and interactions. We are living in a digital age and other than face to
face interaction, we have interactions involving technology cellular phones, computers and
other gadgets. Thus, we build our DIGITAL SELF.
Cyberspace
Cyberspace refers to the virtual computer world, specifically an electronic medium used to
facilitate interactions and communication across a global network of interconnected
systems.
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy involves the confident and critical use of a full range of digital technologies
for information, communication and basic problem-solving in all aspects of life. It is
underpinned by basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve, assess, store, produce,
present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative
networks via the Internet.
ONLINE IDENTITY AND 'SELF IN CYBERSPACE: (I, Me, Myself, and My User ID Online
Identity)
Other types of Identity:
1. Personal Identity – the interpersonal level of self which differentiates the individual as
unique from others.
2. Social Identity – the level of self whereby the individual is identified by his or her group
memberships.
3. Online identity – the sum of your characteristics and interactions because you interact
differently with each website you visit, each of those websites will have different picture off
who you are and what you do.

Sometimes the different representations of you are referred to as partial identities, because
none of them has the full and true picture of who you are.
"Your online identity is not the same as your real-world identity because the characteristics
you represent online differ from the characteristics you represent in the physical world.
Every website you interact with has its own idea of your identity because each one you visit
sees you and your characteristics differently" (InternetSociety.org, characteristics 2011).

"Online, most research on identity focused on self-presentation" (boyd 2010; Wynn & Katz
1997, Papacharissi 2002; Baym 2010), “Social media like social network sites, blogs, and
online personals require users to self-consciously create virtual depictions of themselves.
One way of understanding such self-representation is the information and materials people
choose to show others on their different social media accounts. But identity is also spread
through interacting with others, whether over instant messenger or email.

How do you build your Online Identity?

Every website that you interact with collect its own version of who you are, based on the
information that you have shared. Thus, it is up to you how you will represent yourself as
closely as who you are and what you do in real life or selectively, to create a representation
far from your real life.

Online Disinhibition
The online disinhibition effect describes the loosening of social restrictions and inhibitions
that are normally present in face-to-face interactions that takes place in interactions on the
Internet. In 2004, John Suler, professor of psychology at Rider University, published an
article titled “The Online Disinhibition Effect,” which analyzed characteristics of internet
interactions that contributed to this effect. The term “online disinhibition effect” was already
in use at the time.

Benign disinhibition describes behavior in which people might self-disclose more on the
internet than they would in real life, or go out of their way to help someone or show kindness.

Toxic disinhibition describes behavior that includes rude language, threats, and visiting
places of pornography, crime, and violence on the internet–places the person might not go
to in real life.

SELF-PRESENTATION AND IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

Both offline and online, people engage in self-presentation which refers to the act of creating
a favorable impression or the desired image to an external (others) and internal (self)
audience (Myers & Twenge, 2017).
However, selective self-presentation is more intense on the internet in which online users
carefully decide what aspects of information about themselves they will share and when
(Gonzales & Hancock, 2011).
Online interactions intensify social comparison that consequently affects our self-concept.
The visibility of other people's profiles contributes to the standard by which we evaluate
ourselves such as how rich or poor, successful, or least successful, attractive or plain-looking,
we are (Myers & Twenge, 2017).
The digital environment makes self-presentation more dynamic. People can choose to keep
one online identity or "cycle through" multiple selves or identities according to how they
want to present themselves (Zhao, 2005).

Two Types of Self-Presentation:

1. Pleasing the audience – This type of self-presentation which try to match self to the
audience's expectations and preferences.
2. Self-construction – This type of self-presentation tries to match oneself to one's own ideal
self. The expression of the audience-pleasing motive varies across situations.

IMPACT OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS ON THE SELF

When interacting with other people, we automatically make inferences about hem without
even being consciously aware of it. We cannot help but ponder what they are thinking about,
what their facial expressions mean, what their intentions are, and so on. This predisposition
is what makes social interactions so demanding. This suggests that interaction with human
partners requires more emotional involvement, and thus more cognitive effort, than
interacting through a computer. The conclusion is clear - online interaction does not require
cognitive or emotional involvement, making our interaction with it much easier (Rilling,
Sanfey, Aronson, Nystrom, & Cohen, 2004).

POSITIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA and ONLINE INTERACTION ON THE SELF

1. Social media sites inform and empower individuals to change themselves and their
communities.
2. Increased self-esteem when receiving many likes and shares.
virtual p
3. Boost one's moral and feelings of self-worth. (Toma, 2010-Social Media & Identity 2013)

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA and ONLINE INTERACTION ON THE SELF

1. Extensive online engagement is correlated with personality and brain disorders like poor
social skills:
- ADHD, narcissistic tendencies, a need for instant gratification, and addictive behaviors and
other emotional distress like depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
2. Low self-esteem due to the risk of being exposed to cyberbullying and cyberpornography
(healthxph.net-2015)
3. More occupied in giving attention to social media than in keeping their custorns and
practices (phblogspot2013)
EXTENDED SELF IN A DIGITAL WORLD - Russel W. Belk

A glimpse on the ideas of Russell W. Belk on his "Extended Self in a Digital World" could give
more light on the topic. Belk presents five changes emerging from our current digital age:
1. Dematerialization
Things are disappearing right before our eyes - our information, communications, photos,
videos, music, calculations, messages, "written" words are now largely invisible and
immaterial, composed of electronic streams stored in digital storage devices in locations we
will never know.
2. Reembodiment
This is characterized as the "breakout of the visual" online, leading to new "constructions
and definitions of the self in the virtual world where online games, blogs, web pages, photo
and video-sharing sites, internet dating sites are possible; we are disembodied and
reembodied as avatars, sharing identity with the chosen avatar virtually.
Online, the plain represent themselves as glamorous, the old as young, the young as older.
Those of modest means wear elaborate jewelry, in virtual space, the crippled walk without
crutches, etc. We may employ anonymous and pseudonymous identities online and enact
wild fantasy identities in online games and virtual worlds. In some cases, even virtual sex,
marriage and divorce are made possible. Virtual participants may also have multiple
characters, increasing one's anonymity.
3. Sharing
Uploading, downloading, sharing, etc provide free access of information through web
surfing. How does sharing of possessions online enhance our individual and aggregate
senses of self?
In Facebook, social media friends know more than the immediate families about our daily
activities, connections, and thoughts. Diaries that were once private or shared only with
close friends are now posted as blogs for everyone to read. There is loss of control due to
sharing - uncontrolled sharing of information by online participants or friends; restrictions
are not observed.
4. Co-construction of Self
Our digital involvement is social in nature. Our blogs invite comments, social interaction
which help in constructing our individual and joint extended sense of self as the new version
of Cooley's *Looking Glass Self Theory" known as the collaborative self. What are the effects
of this? Seeking affirmation is obviously identified. Friends also help to co-construct and
reaffirm each other's sense of self through their postings, tagging and
comments.
5. Distributed Memory
"In a digital world, there is a new set of devices and technologies for recording and archiving
our memories. The dilemma is seen in the narrative of the self. Our identity is and to be found
in behavior nor in the reactions of others, but in the capacity to keep a particular narrative
going, done by continually integration events in the outside world into our ongoing story
about the self. Photos posted in the online world may not be accurate in going memories of
the past since the photos, blogs, etc. may just be selected representations of happy times
hence, may not be sufficient to tell our stories.

BOUNDARIES OF THE ONLINE SELF

Adolescents’ online interactions are both a literal and metaphoric screen for representing
major adolescent developmental issues, such as sexuality and identity. Because of public
nature of internet chat rooms, they provide an open window into the expression of
adolescent concerns.

The following guidelines will help you share information online in a smart way that you
will protect yourself and not harm others. Before posting or sharing anything online,
consider the following:
• Is this post/story necessary?
• Is there a real benefit to this post? It is funny, warm-hearted, and teachable- or
am I just making noise online without purpose?
• Have we (as a family or friends) resolved this issue personally? An issue that
is still being worked out at home, or one that is either vulnerable or highly
emotional, should not be made public.
• It is appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family values?
• Will this seem as funny in 5, 10 or 15 years? Or is this post better suited for
sharing with a small group of family members? Or maybe not at all?

Here are the additional guidelines for proper sharing of information and ethical use of
the Internet according to New (2014):
• Stick to safer sites.
• Guard your passwords.
• Limit what you share.
• Remember that anything you put online or post on a site is there forever, even
if you try to delete it.
• Do not be mean or embarrass other people online.
• Always tell if you see strange or bad behavior online.
• Be choosy about your online friends.
• Be patient.
David L, "Online Disinhibition Effect (Suler)," in Learning Theories, December
15, 2015, https://learning-theories.com/online-disinhibition-effect-
suler.html.