JOURNAL ENTRY NO.

THE DIGITAL SELF

This week we had a lesson on the digital self or to put it simply, it is our online personas.
There was an activity before the lesson where we were asked about our first account names
online, I remembered that I was already involved in the online community since I was in 3rd
grade playing Adventure Quest with my classmates, wherein I had the most embarrassing
account name. Our online selves represent our online identity, online platforms require online
identifications, and account names which represents ourselves in the digital world. As students of
this generation we have gained more access to academic materials, and has also opened many
new platforms to the youth. To me my digital-self refers to who I am on social media and in
online gaming. I can relate most to the lesson of the digital self for I am one to spend my leisure
times online.

When I am online I can feel that I can become who I want to be. I learned the proper term
for this is selective self-presentation where I can create a digital representation or expression of
my real-world self. In the RPGs that I play I can create my own character and act like who I want
when it comes in-game. I have always felt a connection with me and the avatars I create. I highly
favor the statement which was "Virtual worlds let you find out who you are by letting you who
you want to be" (Bartle, 2004). The time and effort I spend online as well as the money I spent
all make up what I see myself as well as how my online friends look at me.

Being online can feel like an escape from reality, or sometimes the digital world might
feel more real than life, there may be positive impacts on online interaction however too much
time online can lead to negative impacts to health. The line between real and virtual identity is
unclear and it is usually determined by the amount of time we spend online. When one crosses
the line between the real and virtual and no distinction separates the two, this leads to serious
problems that could ensue and destroy our cognition and behavior. Moreover, there is a risk of
acquiring multiple personas. I highly agree to Belk’s statement where there is s a degree of
integration of identity between online and real-world personas. But the 're-embodiment' and its
positive/negative effects are still unproven. That’s why it is not a matter of eliminating internet
use; rather, it is a matter of managing use and exposure.

In conclusion, Social media is an important place for psychological development.

Interactions on social media can be used to reaffirm ourselves and other people's sense of selves.
This has allowed us to share parts of ourselves to more people. It has made entertainment
within the type of games we play. Furthermore, connecting online through social media has made
real-time long-distance interactions with peers who have similar interests. The rewarding feeling
from these interactions are wholesome. But it is important to keep in mind the boundary
between our digital self and reality, to keep a balance between the two. I will still continue to
play online games and binge in social media, but I will also carry myself well as that I could take
care of my reality as well. I will also try my best to become an advocate to the proper use of the
online platform and to practice proper netiquette at all times.