Haro, Guillermo

English 114b
Professor Rodrick
2/29/16
We Are Technology
What is Identity? According to the
online google dictionary, identity is being a
consistent unique individual and knowing
who you are. Individual identity is defined
as being aware and understanding an
individual's experience, feelings,
sensations, images, and memories.
Understanding ourselves, the choices we
make, and the actions we take is another
way to view our identity. As digital
technology grows, our identities seem to
be fading away. Technology was once a place to find information, but now that has changed. Our
phones and computers has shifted our society from reality to a virtual world. As technology
prospers, our identities continue to diminish. Technology may have beneficial improvements to
society but those improvements don't compare to the brain dead people in our society. Although
technology can be beneficial, technology has negative effects towards identity because it
prevents people from expressing their real identity , communication is based on technology, and
it globalizes our views of ourselves.

Throughout the years, technology has done nothing but destroy our confidence. People
have began to feel as though they are limited to how they express themselves virtually and
realistically.. According to the article, Achieving Self-congruency? Examining Why Individuals
Reconstruct Their Virtual Identity in Communities of Interest Established Within Social Network
Platforms, the authors explain how people reconstruct their identity via online due to vanity.
According to Websters Online Dictionary, vanity is defined as the quality of being worthless or
futile. With this being said, many people have no or little confidence in what they say. They are
driven to believe that they are not good enough or that they are wrong. According to the article ,
Achieving Self-congruency? Examining Why Individuals Reconstruct Their Virtual Identity in
Communities of Interest Established Within Social Network Platforms, the author states, in
social network communities, members can express whatever they have in mind because nobody
knows their real identity. This is supported by existing studies which suggest that, in computermediated communications; individuals are less worried about retribution and face less social
pressure, (Achieving Self Congruency 3) This explains the fact that many people are drifting
from their real selves to their virtual selves. You may ask yourself, why is this bad? Well virtual
online profiles consists of anonymous users. These users can be predators, thieves, and other
unsavory types who adopt different personalities to lure children and other susceptible folks into
their webs. Although not all anonymous user are that, those who aren't tend to be locked up
inside the computer knowing that anything outside the computer world is threatening and sad.
Many of these profiles are created to show their real identity and who they really are. For
example, while talking to someone in real life, many people never express their full emotions or
what they really feel because of social pressure. In order to express how they feel the drift to an

online identity where they are free and confident. People can behave freely with no fear of social
evaluation when they are anonymous.
Communication was one once something we did one on one. We would communicate
with people using real words and real emotion. That has changed.Communication is now based
on technology. Sure, technology has been a source of communication since the creation of the
cellphone and telephone, but the way we communicate and express our words and emotions have
changed. In todays world we base our emotions using emojis. Emojis are a small digital image
or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in technological communication. These emojis
have been embedded into every cellular device you can find and due to this many people drift
from expressing their real emotions to expressing their virtual emotions. We have materialized
certain actions named to being able to express certain racial emotional qualities in our
technology and communication. According to the video, How Social Media Shapes Identity,
the speaker states, it is setting up and expectation and it is rationalizing our communication.
Setting up an expectation that you think about what emoji you will be using and how much
you're going to express your real emotion in what you post in social media, ( How Social
Media Shapes Identity 4) This defines how not only are we virtually expressing our emotions
but we are also expressing them in a sense where we have to make sure and reassure that our
society accepts it. We lose confidence and our self esteem decreases which of course tends to
shift our identity into a negative aspect. We tend to believe that our emotions are wrong and that
everything we do is wrong. This sets a standard which people tend to follow. Emojis are
bggining to rise as a main source of writing weather its in text or journalism and this is beginning
to lower our literacy and english. We begin to connect with pictures rather than words which of
course leads to lack of english.

Not only has technology restrained us from expressing our real identity, but it has also
changed our views and globalized how we view ourselves. With the creation of the internet,
many have been drifting to a life accommodating the virtual world. Social medias such as
Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat etc.. have changed who we are. We view ourselves as virtual
names and not our true selves. We are even beginning to view ourselves as Avatars and not
humans. In the game, Second Life, many people are using avatars to drift away from who they
really are. In the article , Virtual Customers Behind Avatars: The Relationship Between Virtual
Identity and Virtual Consumption in Second Life, the authors state, Virtual identities can be
changed as rapidly and frequently as desired, allowing participants to experiment with various
options and roles, even ones that may not be considered conventional. For example, virtual
identities are often constructed to be more intelligent or more attractive, and may possess further
desirable attributes, when compared with characteristics of real-life selves,.( Virtual Customers
Behind Avatars 5) This states that people can change how they want to be perceived and how
they want to be seen. This not only gives the creator a sense of a new beginning but also gives
them the sense of a new identity. Having a sense of creation in how you look and who you are as
a person changes they way you look physically and emotionally. With many other games
developing Virtual Worlds such as , The Sims, people are bound to change to a lifestyle and
physical look that accommodates who they think they really are. We live in a world where who
we are is not important to but what people think of who we are is. How we view ourselves has
changed because we dont want what we see, we want what others want to see.
Although technology has negative effects towards identity, many may argue that it is
beneficial. Many kids are growing up in a technological advanced world. They have phones,
computers, social medias, and virtual reality games. Although this may seem like a negative

factor, it is not. Kids are growing up learning about who they are with the use of technology
while we know who we are but technology is changing that from us. According to the
article,Growing Up With Social Networks and Online Communities, the author states,
Students can benefit from reciprocal sharing with bloggers from other ethnic groups or nations.
By reading peer postings, children get confirmation that they are not alone in how they feel or
interpret current events. These benefits increase if teachers make assignments that can connect
student motivation with existing resources,. (Growing Up With Social Networks and Online
Communities 3 ) This article indicates that many kids growing up with technology have a better
sense of understanding themselves. Everyone has access to social media, but children abuse it.
Children can find articles, blogs and information regarding current events. This may lead to
teachers using technology and social media as a way to teach children about important matters.
The source of education the internet provides is outstanding but let's not forget about what really
is online and that is sexual predators, pedophiles, hackers, trolls, and thieves. With kids being so
gullible at a young age, kids will do anything their screen tells them. With this in mind children
can go through scary things and have a negative impact in their lives,
Not only has technology has been dominating our lives for the past few years, it has been
dominating our identities. Technology has negative effects towards identity because it prevents
people from expressing their real identity , communication is based on technology, and it
globalizes our views of ourselves. Things such as virtual games such as second life has had an
impact to our identity in a negative form. We have begun to change who we really are to
someone who is influenced by social media. With many negative effects theres a positive which
is the gaining of knowledge. Although it may be positive, it does not compare o the negatives
technology has to offer.

Work Cited

Hu, C, L Zhao, and J Huang. "Achieving Self-congruency? Examining Why Individuals

Reconstruct Their Virtual Identity in Communities of Interest Established Within Social
Network Platforms."Computers in Human Behavior, 50 (2015): 465-475.
Koles, Bernadett, and Peter Nagy. "Virtual Customers Behind Avatars: The Relationship
Between Virtual Identity and Virtual Consumption in Second Life." Journal of
Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 7.2 (2012): 87-105
Strom, Paris, and Robert Strom. "Growing Up with Social Networks and Online
Communities." Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 78.1
(2012): 48-51.