UNIT 2 and examined.
As you intently examine the details
UNPACKING THE SELF
Unpacking the Self refers to the gradual
unfolding of the self in which the six aspects of the
self develop in an integrated and healthy manner.
As the Self continues to interact with its
environment, it gets various feedback that may
affect it self- knowledge, its self-image, and self-
concept.
So that the student would get a deeper
understanding of the concept of Self, from the
various philosophical perspectives of the ancient,
medieval the modern-day and contemporary
philosophers, in the likes of Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Locke, St. Thomas, to
mention a few. discussed the Self from the
sociological, anthropological and psychological
perspective. It also compared the Oreintal and
Western concepts of the Self. The discussion
helped you understand the "Self' and answer
questions like, Who am I? What is a Human
Person? Etc.
William James suggests in his book, The
Principles of Psychology, (1890), that we look into
the aspects of "Self," for a better understanding.
Deemed to be logical, we unpack the "Self" by
discussing individually the six dimensions or
aspects, namely, the physical self,
material/economic self, spiritual self, political self,
sexual self and digital self. This is the focus of
Chapter 2. Divided in to six lessons, each lesson
investigates fully one aspect.
CHAPTER 1
The Physical Self
This Lesson highlights the Physical Self, one
of the dimensions of Self, by providing a
comprehensive discussion to address the learning
outcomes given above.
Aspects of Physical Self
Within a day, how many times do you stand
before a mirror and ask yourself, Am I beautiful?
Am I satisfied with how I look? Then you stare
again and meticulously examine the image before
you - front, side and back. Did you like what you
saw?
The image you are gazing at the mirror is
your physical self- the body, the concrete and
tangible part of your 'self' that can be directly seen
1
of yourself, you notice the color of your hair, the
skin tone, your body figure, your height and many
other features. All these make up your personal
appearance or personal characteristics; only you
have these particular features; no one else but you,
and you are identified as "you" because of them.
They are unique to you ONLY and no other. They
make you different from all others.
Our physical self is the first aspect that is
noticed in a person. As such, many would like to
enhance their physical appearance, their God-given
looks. And that is commendable. They are entitled
to that. However, beyond the looks, we also need
to respect and pay particular attention to our
whole body and being; it is God's gift to us, with all
its natural features. We give value to our physical
self because it is the seat of all other selves:
material/economic self, spiritual self, political self,
sexual self and digital self. As such, we keep it
physically healthy, clean and neat and beautiful
inside out.
In the story of creation, God Himself
marveled at the goodness and beauty of His
creation. And to man, whom He created last, was
given the authority to subdue the earth. For all that
God has given us, we manifest our gratitude and
respect to God's work by preserving and sustaining
continually all these gifts through proper care of
ourselves and our environment, including the right
attitude.
As we mature, our idea of what is good and
beautiful changes as we interact with our
surrounding, with what we see in others and what
we observe in Western culture. We tend to
compare ourselves with others, most particularly,
in style and fashion. Now, we are more inclined to
imitate others; we have the tendency to prefer
imported products over the locally-made ones.
Our standard for what is good and beautiful
has also changed, partly because of the influence of
Western culture. To many, a beautiful woman has a
long nose, lighter, fairer skin, blonde or colored
hair and slim body figure and other features
commonly seen among Western women. So, our
preference for the 'mestiza' type. Our standard of
beauty and goodness is further elevated by the
flooding of beauty products and the rising of
beauty salons, gyms for physical fitness and
sometimes and to a certain extent, of technology.
 Speaking of technology, Manny Calayan's
and Vicky Belo's names have become by-words in
the beauty industry. Belo's billboards, for example,
are covered with the pictures of exquisitely
beautiful and handsome, well-carved and muscled
models. What is their message: Come, invest and
we will create a new, beautiful you. Of course,
many submit themselves to enhancement
procedures. Today, undergoing the procedures,
especially when performed by famous names in the
industry, has become a status symbol.
While there is nothing wrong with
enhancing one's appearance, the alterations in the
physical self will have life- altering consequences in
the personality of the person. usually, these
consequences are negative.
The following practices are popular among many
health enthusiasts in keeping themselves
physically fit, youthful and naturally glowing.
1. Improve sleeping habit. As the saying goes, early
to bed, early to rise makes Juan healthy, wealthy
and wise. It is true. Sleeping early makes one
healthier, wrinkle-free, more active, able to
maintain a positive disposition and more
productive.
2. Observe correct eating habit. Valuable
suggestions are, eat the right food; avoid junk
foods and soda. This practice is proven to be good
in attaining healthy skin, ideal body weight and
sustained youthfulness.
3. Do regular exercise. Regular toning of the
muscles provides the stamina, energy and strength
and keeps one physically fit and well-shaped. It
helps in achieving a healthy core and correct
waistline.
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sustaining a healthy
lifestyle requires discipline in terms of food intake
and other habits. For example, doing away with
drinking and smoking is a prevention against
illnesses and diseases. Eating good food
contributes to having a stronger immune system,
like, preference for fresh vegetables and fruits,
rather than canned foods and processed meat
products.
5. Practice right hygiene. Taking a bath daily keeps
the skin clean and healthy. It adds glow to the skin.
Applying body lotion, preferably one that has a
higher SPF, or derma- tested, protects yourself
from the radiation of the sun; apply a good quality
2
of body deodorant. Cap this with a dub a favorite
scent.
6. Feel confident. Looking good and feeling clean
inside out and smelling good daily, will make you
feel naturally beautiful proud of yourself.
As part of the natural course of nature,
physical changes become evident at the onset of
puberty. During this period, some changes noticed
among the boys are their voice gets deeper, hair
starts to show on their faces. This develops into
mustache, as they progress into adulthood. At this
period, they experience rapid growth in a span of
two to three years. This is referred to as growth
spurt. Also, during this period, they attain body
maturity when they experience ejaculation, the
ejection of semen through the penis. On the other
hand, maturity of the body among the girls is
attained when girls experience their first
menstruation. It is at this stage when they become
capable of reproduction.
More noticeable changes occur when the
individual reaches adolescence, the transition
between childhood and adulthood. This period is
divided into three stages, described as follows.
Early adolescence stage is between 11-14 years old.
It has been observed that during this period,
adolescents would rather tell their stories to their
peers rather than to their family. The middle
adolescence stage is between 15-17 years old,
when the children demonstrate consistency to
achieve their goals in life. In the late adolescence
stage, between 18-24 years old, they become more
concerned of others rather than, mainly, of
themselves.
Related to the study of the Self, it is during
the late adolescence stage when children notice
further the changes in their physical self. They
become more conscious of how they look, rather
than the other aspects of the Self. Sometimes, they
are able to adapt to the changes, but there are
others who find these changes difficult to accept.
We discussed earlier that the changes in the Self
are affected by the surrounding. Thus, their
perception of themselves is not only affected by
these changes in their body, but also by what
people say about them, the culture and the
environment where they grew up.
Because of those factors, children at this
period would need guidance from their significant
others to realize that they should not only be
concerned of their physical self, as they should
value a much higher goal that lasts and that is, the
formation of their positive self-identity, self-image,
self-concept and self-esteem.
Self-identity, Self-image, Self-concept, Self-esteem
There are four important concepts related
to physical self that we need to fully understand.
These are self-identity, self-image, self-concept and
self-esteem.
When asked to do a self-introduction, what
usually would you tell people about you? In all
probability, you would state your name, your
status, profession, your place of origin, the place
where you reside, your rank in the family - whether
you're the eldest, or the youngest, as the case may
be. If you're a student, will mention the name of
your school, or the program you're you enrolled in.
Right? That is how you are known. That is your
personal self-identity.
What about self-image? Self-image refers to
the idea one has of his/her abilities, appearance
and personality. For example, as you stand before
the mirror, what do you see? How do you look?
What skills are you capable of doing? All these tell
of your self- image, the idea that you have about
yourself.
On the other hand, self-concept is a
collection and construction of an individual's
thoughts, feelings and beliefs that he/she holds
about himself/herself and the responses of others
about him/her. It is active, dynamic and adaptive. It
responds to the question "Who am I?" Like, one
may say, "I'm a sociable and accommodating
person." or, one may perceive himself/herself as an
indispensable member of the organization, or a
nurturing and caring person. Self-concept differs
from self-awareness which refers to the extent to
which self-knowledge is defined, consistent and
currently applicable to one's attitudes and
dispositions.
Self-esteem, on the contrary, refers to how
much you appreciate, value and like yourself. Your
self-concept affects your self-esteem. As what we
already discussed, what you hear from other
people, their influences and beliefs, including those
of your family, contribute to the formation of self-
concept. For instance, one may look at
3
himself/herself, and may form either a positive or
negative self-esteem of himself/herself. If one's
attitude towards his/her physical self is positive,
his/her self- esteem is also positive. He/she feels
confident to express his/her opinion, decision, or
objection, toward an issue because he/she trusts
himself/herself well enough. It would be otherwise,
if he/ she lacks self-confidence.
With self-confidence, one will be able to
express himself/ herself freely. Thus, people with
high self-esteem can establish better work
relationship than those with low self-esteem, or
none at all. It becomes necessary then that one
builds his/her confidence or self-esteem. This calls
for reflection, self-evaluation and self-knowledge.
The philosophy, "know thyself," and "to thyself be
true," re-affirms this call. Aware of who he/she is,
he/ she can start liking or appreciating
himself/herself. What he/she thinks of
himself/herself is much more important than what
others think of him/her.
Factors Affecting Growth and Development
Let us consider the factors that impact the
growth and development of a person. We will
discuss each of them for a better appreciation of
how we become who and what we are now.
Heredity. Heredity is the transmission of physical
characteristics from parents to children through
their genes. It influences all aspects of physical
appearance such as height, weight, body
structures, the color of the eye, the texture of the
hair and even intelligence and aptitudes, Diseases
are also passed through the genes, such as
diabetes, heart disease, obesity and more. These
genetic factors can adversely affect the growth of a
child.
There are two biological factors that
contribute to a child's growth and development.
One is nutrition. Nutrition becomes a vital factor in
a child's overall development. Prior to birth, a
mother's diet and overall health plays a role in the
child's development. The other is gender. It plays a
factor in cognitive maturation in that the boys tend
to develop and learn differently from girls.
Research suggests that boys have lower level of
school readiness than girls.
Intelligence. Intelligence, specifically in emotion,
means honestly evaluating and paying attention to
how you feel. When you feel a certain emotion,
you do your best to understand and explain it. You
are aware of how your actions and emotion impact shift or shifts you need to adjust in your person,
not only yourself, but, other people, as well. considering the negative comments referring to
you as part of human experience and a challenge to
Environment. Environment is observed that a well-
continually improve your total person. Accepting
nurtured child does better than a deprived one and
the challenge and making the necessary shift would
the environment that they are constantly
be doing yourself a great favor!
immersed in contributes to this. For instance, a
good school and a loving family, build in them
strong social and interpersonal skills, while
excelling in academics and extra- curricular
activities. It is different for children who are raised
in stressful environment, such as poverty and
broken families.
Geographical influence. Living in an exciting
community that has parks, libraries and community
centres for group activities and sports, all play a
role in how much a child is involved. Unlike those
who have nowhere to go to play, nor have the
opportunity to be with some other children to go
outside often and spend time playing video games
at home, instead of being with other children and
interacting with them. The world one lives has
cultural factors that help shape the child's thought,
attitudes and behavior. Like, in a happy family
where the father and the mother are loving and
nurturing and showing good role modelling, raising
a well-adjusted child is not far behind.
The parent's socio-economic status is
another factor. It can determine many things about
the child's early development, like, how he views
the world, what, how much and how often he eats
in a day, the type of early childhood education he
went to, his overall health, or how others view him.
What happens in a child's life between the ages of
two through five, impacts his later success or
failure in life.
Accidents and incidents that children
experienced may also affect their physical
development. Print and social media show that kids
who have been exposed to repeated trauma could
become hypersensitive to physical contact,
developing in them sensorimotor problems. Shown
in movies and television programs, physical and
sexual abuse could lead to many physical health
problems. Teachers in schools heard sad stories of
kids who have been traumatized, causing them to
suffer from headaches, stomach aches and other
somatic symptoms. All these have bearing on
human growth and development.
Make sense out of what had been discussed
so far. Evaluate your physical self and decide the
4

CHAPTER 2
The Sexual Self
Our self-concept refers to the knowledge
and belief that we have and the evaluation that we
make about ourselves. The elements of our self-
concept are self-schemas, or those specific beliefs
that help us organize and guide our processing of
self- relevant information (Myers & Twenge, 2017).
These schemas provide direction to our action and
coherence to our identity.
Our sexual self comprises a complex set of
schemas that allow us to understand and express
ourselves as sexual beings. We hold self-schemas
that pertain to our sex, gender, sexual orientation
and sexual expression/responses. Sex refers to the
biological and physiological characteristics that
define men and women and that constitutes the
sex categories of male and female (World Health
Organization, 2014). It is sometimes referred to as
biological or assigned sex as it is based on what a
person is endowed by nature or at birth. Gender,
on the other hand, refers to the attitudes, feelings
and behaviors that a given culture associates with a
person's biological sex (American Psychological
Association, 2012). Gender identity is an internal
awareness of where the individual belongs in the
feminine and masculine categories. One may
identify with either of these categories, or neither,
such as in the case of people who label themselves
"gender queer," "gender variant," or "gender
fluid." Sexual orientation refers to the direction of
one's sexual and romantic interests (Rathus, 2014).
Categories used to describe sexual orientation are
heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Finally, we
have schemas that guide how we express ourselves
in sexual relationships.
Many might find it easy to describe
themselves simply as men or women because there
is congruence in the schemas related to their
sexual self. However, as we know there are others
5
who have a different experience and who find that
those self- schemas are not in agreement with each
other.
The society at large tends to also see human
beings simply as men or women. MAMAWA is an
abbreviation used for "Men-Are-Men-And-Women-
Are-Women" assumption. could have Although it
been better abbreviated as MAMAWAWA, but that
is how it is referred to by Pinel (2014). It is a
simplistic and heuristic reference to what makes
and a woman based on age-old traditions and
perspectives of these two genders. This assumption
has been strongly questioned now particularly
because of the modern roles that males and
females play which may no longer fit the gender
stereotypes. This kind of thinking that views sex or
gender as based on core or innate differences,
pervades most of society. Among the assumptions
is that "female hormones" and "male hormones"
fuel the different sexes leading to differences in
their shape and behavior. Others tend to quickly
summarize their assumptions about sex or gender
differences with lines such as men are from Mars
and women are from Venus.
While we may be drawn by the simplicity
and comfortable social implications of "mamawa,"
this assumption is flawed (Pinel, 2014). This
assumption over emphasizes the role of nature and
explains differences between males and females
mainly from this perspective. It is important,
however, to understand the interplay between
nature and nurture in our conception of the sexual
self. Therefore, the intended learning outcome of
this Chapter is to expand our understanding about
the sexual self by looking at its multiple dimensions
that consist of both biological and environmental
influences.
LESSON 2
Gender and Sexual Orientation
Gender is a term that is used to describe
the characteristics, whether biologically or socially-
influenced, that people use to define males and
females (Myers & Twenge, 2017). It is shaped by
cultural expectations and social roles that affect
people's self- concept, behaviors and aspirations
(Rathus, 2014). We basically learn about our
gender and to act accordingly, that is based on our
gender roles, through a lifelong socialization
process. Even before we were born, a name was
chosen for us usually based on our gender. Then
we grew up exposed to gender-specific activities
and are encouraged and rewarded for what are
considered as gender-appropriate roles and
behaviors. For instance, women have always been
expected to perform housework and childcare,
while men are responsible for the household
repair. Women dominate in teaching and nursing
while men, in the world of engineering and mining.
Certainly, there have been changes in the gender
roles over time but there are cultural expectations
and gender stereotypes that remain deeply
ingrained in society.
The awareness of one's gender identity
usually starts with self-categorization that
influences individuals to engage in gender-typed
behaviors (Keener, 2015). In Bem's (1981) gender
schema theory, our identification as man or woman
affects our development, because it directs what
we pay attention to and process. Gender is
traditionally understood based on binary
categories: male/masculine and female/feminine.
Typically, girls and boys grow up to be more
inclined to notice and to engage in behaviors that
are expected of their gender. However, there are
people who cannot identify with either of these
binary categorizations and who find their interests
and inclinations to be also non-typical. Below are
different terminologies compiled by Keener (2015)
to help us understand this broad range of gender
identity.
Table 1: Gender Identity Terminologies
Cisgender is a male or female that
identifies with the sex
that was assigned at
birth. Cisgender people
also identify, to some
degree, with the
gender norms
(excluding sexual
orientation) that are
associated with their
sex.
Genderqueer is used to describe a
gender identity when
the binary
conceptualization of
gender, male or
female, does not
accurately describe an
individual's gendered
outlook or self-
concept.
6
Intersex describes a variety of
medical conditions
wherein an individual's
reproductive anatomy
or genitals do not fit
the binary definition of
male or female.
Transgender man or is a man whose sex is
Female to Man female but he lives and
(FtM) identifies as male.
Transgender woman is a woman whose sex
or Male to Female is male but she lives
(MtF) and identifies as
female.
Gender expression
Gender expression or the manner by which
people expr themselves and behave may be true to
their gender identity such as when they convey
their sense of femininity or masculinity outwardly.
This may occur naturally for the majority, that their
actions are effortless. However, there are some
people whose gender expression does not match
their gender identity and are more comfortable
dressing up and presenting themselves as an
opposite sex. We are familiar with cases where a
woman is comfortable presenting herself in
masculine ways such wearing a man's clothing, or a
man is acting in feminine ways such as being fussy
with house decors. However, there are those who
undergo transexual surgery but who still keep their
original gender identity and even their sexual
orientation. Celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner and
Angie King are biologically male, but became
transwomen and they remained to be heterosexual
in sexual orientation. This brings us to the next
topic.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to the stable
pattern of attraction or sexual interest that one has
to a member of a particular sex. It can also mean
the complete absence of any sexual interest. Sexual
orientation should not be mistaken as sexual
behavior because they are not necessarily the
same. For instance, there are some people who
engage in same-sex behavior and fantasy but
maintain a strong heterosexual orientation
(Freberg, 2010).
 Majority of the people have heterosexual
orientation, that is, their sexual interest is towards
people of the opposite sex. Others have
homosexual orientation in which their sexual and
romantic interests are with same sex individuals
and they are either gay or lesbian. There are others
whose orientations do not fall from the
aforementioned categories. Table 2 lists the
different sexual orientation of people (Keener,
2015).
Table 2: Sexual Orientation Terminologies
Asexual refers to the absence
of physical or sexual
attraction to another
human being. An
asexual man or woman
can have romantic,
intellectual. or
emotional attractions
to other people but
they do not engage in
physical sexual acts.
Bisexual the sexual orientation
that describes either a
male or a female who
is attracted to both
males and females.
Gay depending on the
context, gay can refer
to either gay males
and/or lesbians. Gay
males are self-
identified men who are
emotionally, physically,
romantically and/or
sexually attracted to
people who identify as
male.
Lesbian a self-identified female
who is emotionally,
physically, romantically
and/or sexually
attracted to other
people who identify as
female.
Heterosexual an individual who
7
identifies as either a
male or female (can be
cisgender, FtM, or MtF)
and is attracted to
individuals of the
opposite sex.
Queer is an umbrella term
that is used to describe
an individual's self-
concept of their sexual
orientation identity
Factors Contributing to Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation has been examined from
the nature and nurture perspectives, or based on
the biological make-up of the individual and
environmental influences.
Biological factor
There is evidence of genetic link in sexual
orientation. It was found that 52% monozygotic
twins, whose genetic codes are nearly identical,
share a gay male sexual orienta2014tion, as
compared with 22% fraternal twins (Rathus, 2014;
Pinel).
A line of investigation that is increasingly
anchored to explain about homosexuality is on the
fraternal birth order effect. It is seen that the
probability of becoming a homosexual man
increases with the number of older brothers, as
compared to men who have no siblings, have
younger siblings only, or older sisters (Blanchard &
Lippa, 2007; Blanchard, 2004). The effect was quite
large, in which the probability of being gay
increases by 33.3% for every older biological
brother that he has (Puts, 2006). The explanation
for this is the Jordan& Breedlove, maternal
immune hypothesis in which there are some
mothers who become progressively immune to
masculinizing hormones as they bear male fetuses
and such hormones may be deactivated in the later
pregnancies of their sons (Blanchard, 2004).
There is also the assumption that sexual
orientation is associated with sex hormones. There
is little evidence on this Heterosexual and
homosexual people do not differ in amount
hormones circulating in their bodies. Also, although
there is the condition of CAH, which involves XY and XX chromosomes and the sexual organs
prenatal exposure to androgen and lesbian they possess), establish their gender identity
behaviors. However, the majority of women with (based on gendered- roles), be attracted towards
and that are associated with some women the opposite sex (be heterosexual in romantic
engaging in bisexual CAH have heterosexual relationships) and express themselves based on
orientation. Further, because experiments cultural norms. For instance, a genetic female is
involving hormone exposure in pregnancy is not expected to embrace herself as a woman, be
possible, most of the studies are done with non- attracted to a male and to behave in feminine way
humans. Therefore, those studies do not e.g to dress up in typical women’s clothing.
necessarily explain what can possibly occur with However, in our present society, there are more
human beings. and more cases of individuals that do not conform
to the traditional expectations of a man or woman.
The idea of the sexual self as based in a binary
categorization is not universal and could not
accurately describe those individuals whose gender
identity, expression, or sexual preference may be
somewhere between those two categories. The
multidimensional aspect of the sexual self is well
Environmental factor
depicted in the Gender bread Person.
Social-cognitive theorists provide
explanation for how sexual orientation could
possibly develop. They particularly look into the
antecedents and consequences of the behavior.
They look into the process of observational and
experiential learning. Some of the theories for
homosexual orientation include early exposure to
an enjoyable male-male or female-female sexual
encounters, the unavailability of a sexual partner of
the opposite sex in one's cultural group, or as
reported by some, an experience of childhood
sexual abuse by someone of the same gender that
influences their own sexual orientation (Rathus,
2014). Many critics point out though that sexual
orientation is not simply a matter of sexual
preference, such as choosing what particular sex
one would partner with. Instead, it is argued to be
stemming from discovery, of finding the particular
sex that one is attracted to. Further, for the
majority, they already know their sexual
orientation even before they are exposed to sexual
encounters or relationships, such as in the case of
children who at an early age already identified
themselves as gay or lesbian.
Multidimensional View of the Sexual Self
From the earlier discussions, a distinction
has been made about biological sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
These variables are related with each other as they
exist in one person, however, as noted earlier, they
are not necessarily congruent with each other. The
general expectation is that individuals will identify
with their biological sex (based on their inherited
8
CHAPTER 3
The Material Self
The Aspects of Material/Economic Self
Material self is a dimension of the self that
relates to physical materials. We are made aware
of them by what we see in commercials on
television, what we hear over the radio and what
we read in the print and social media, like
newspapers and magazines, social platforms like
Twitter, Facebook page, YouTube and Private
Messages.
Material self refers to our body, as well as
the tangible objects, places, things that we describe
as "My" or "Mine." It has two sub-classes: the body
self, referring to our body and all its parts and the
extra-corporeal self, beyond the body, which,
according to Rosenberg (1979), is our extended
self. It includes all the people, places, things that
we regard as OURS. It can also refer to our
possessions. All components of objects we possess
are our own instinctive preferences coupled with
the most important interests in life.
William James said that the Material self
basically refers to our body, clothes, immediate
family and home. Of these four components, let us
consider first our body, the most essential part of
Material self. Self and body are intimately attached.
As we discussed in Lesson 1, our body is of prime
importance to us We value it the most. We keep it
healthy and in good condition because if our body
is not well, our other selves will suffer. For
example, if our body is sick, our total well-being will
be affected we cannot go to work and fail to attend
to our responsibilities, our attitude toward others
may be affected and we cannot appreciate the
world around us. But if our body is healthy,
relationships can be much better.
Some of us have some special attachment,
some closeness, to some of our body parts. Like,
we pay more attention to our eyes, nose, body
shape and contours. In our study of the physical
self, we saw how much money and effort some
people invest just to take care of certain body
parts.
Now let us look at clothing, which,
according to James, is the second most essential
part of the Material self. James’s idea was
complemented by Herman Lotze, in his book,
Microcosmos. Lotze commented that anytime we
9
bring an object into the surface of our body, we
invest that object into the consciousness of our
personal existence taking in its contours to be our
own and making it a part of the self. This is true.
When you wear a new dress that fits you to a tee,
you feel that you and your dress become one!
Clothes are very important to us. They
protect our body from extreme temperature. They
enhance our physical appearance. This is the
reason why we are careful in choosing the style,
color and the quality of the material used. We want
to look at our best with whatever we use.
Our choice of clothing is one of the best
ways to distinguish our social class, as well as our
culture, our occupation, and our sex preference. In
fact, the first impression of people about us is
based on the clothes we wear, the brand, the color,
and our accessories, like, our bags and shoes and
other things we consider our own. It is a reflection
of our personality, our character and even our
attitude.
Equally important as our clothing is our
choice of style and the material of the clothes we
wear. A style that suits our person and material of
the fabric that suggests good taste, may cause us
certain sensations that can affect our attitudes and
behaviors. We exude a pleasing personality,
confident and beautiful, because we are wearing
the latest style in fashion, made out of quality
material, done by our favorite couturier, the fit of
which perfectly flows with the contour of our body.
All these contribute to the feeling of assurance and
self-confidence.
The third essential part of Material self is
our family, the source of our life, the single, most
important influence on a child's life. At the first
moment of life, the child depends on the parents to
protect and provide for his/her needs. The parents
are present to serve as role model on how to act
and experience the world around him/her. A child
grows up according to what he/she sees and lives
in the family. The kind of world he/she lives with
his/her family could set his/her sail towards life.
His/her moral sense of value and personality are
shaped in the family. Based from our own
experience, the world in which we live shows us
how truly our family influences us. Thus, as
popularized by one TV jingle, family is forever.
The family signifies love and hope; it gives
the members a sense of purpose and goal. As
communicated within the family, every member
strives to live a life in accord with what the family
aspires to achieve. With the family, we share and
celebrate our successes; it is, likewise, with the
family that we seek support and comfort if we fall
short of what the members expect of us. Our family
is the replica of our self.
We value our dignity and integrity and
respect our name because it symbolizes us. We
respect family principles, roles and values. It is in
our family that we first learn and experience
respect for authority, as we look up to the father as
head, the mother as support, the children as
followers or members. In our family we learn the
values of working together, respecting the rights of
members, cooperating with one another and living
in solidarity with the others. These we bring with us
to the wider community.
In the family, we live out family tradition,
the ways of the family in the past, lived out to the
present. For instance, we hear of family of doctors,
of politicians, engineers, or teachers. As the
parents were, so are the children. This is true in
many families. This might even be true in your own
family.
Setting aside family time is necessary to
keep the bond and love for each other alive.
Members may spend time together through
different activities, like worshipping God together
on Sundays and other occasions, spending
weekends together by the beach, traveling and
vacationing together, or cleaning the house or the
car, together. These allow members the family to
play, laugh and eat together and other similarities
activities. Being present for and with one another
enhances unity and closer relationship besides
living out the family values.
Maintaining family ties is as important as
family time. The essence of being family has to be
sustained by connecting with family members and
relatives. Special occasions like Christmas Day, New
Year, Easter Sunday may be good reasons for family
reunions, when members, young and old, come
together to renew relationships and meet new
members of the family.
The fourth essential part of Material self is
the home. Our home is our source of life; it is
where our heart is. It is our sanctuary where we
can relax, rest and enjoy life with friends and
family. It is in our home where we could be our real
10
selves. It is our safest refuge. It is a symbol of our
security.
Some families put premium in the structure,
style, size and the over-all make-up of their house
because they reflect the economic and social status
of the family. While this is important, it is not
always a guarantee that it is a home based on the
value of a happy home where everyone wants to
experience acceptance and whose rights are
respected. Neil Young, in his song, Home, Home, on
the Range, expresses it eloquently: Oh, give me a
home, where the buffalos roam, where the deer
and the antelope play; where seldom is heard a
discouraging word and the sky is not cloudy all day.
Our home can say a lot about us. It is a
witness to our becoming who and what we are. It is
where we learned our first footsteps, uttered our
first words, learned how to make choices and
decisions, whether to love or hate; it is also where
we first experienced success or failure.
Our home is an extension of our self. It is
where we develop our sense of what is right and
wrong and form our personality and self-identity. It
is in our home where we can easily connect to our
self.
On Material Possessions
We live in a fast-paced society where
shopping malls abound. and sales are held the
whole year round, offering all sorts of items at
much discounted prices. Add to this is online
shopping where one could get anything he or she
wants under the sun, without leaving the comfort
of home. Different goods and services are made
known to consumers through advertisements TV
and radio commercials, the social and print media,
like, magazines and newspapers, Facebook and
others.
Sad to note, but people are just willing to
submit themselves to these allurements. And they
become materialistic. Commercialism and
consumerism have successfully created in us the
desire to acquire more, to update and upgrade our
gadgets and buy more, to keep up with the trends.
We are what we buy and what we have. So,
what should we consider if we want to buy
something or upgrade anything we already have?
Our decision will depend on some factors. For
example, we need to confront ourselves with this
reality: Can we afford? If we can afford, is it
necessary to buy it, upgrade it, or we just simply Why are some people attached to their
want it? possessions? Have you noticed how a child is in
rage when deprived of the things they own? Piaget
To decide objectively, we should clearly
found out that it is part of human nature to
differentiate what we NEED from what we WANT.
develop a sense of ownership and attachment to
Needs are those that are basic to our survival, like,
things one values. This is called endowment fact.
food, clothing and shelter. We buy them regularly
For example, we value the award or any reward, in
because they are necessary for our daily
recognition of something we have done. So, we
subsistence. Wants, on the other hand, are those
would want to keep it. As a child, we keep the
that do not warrant necessity. Meaning, we can do
things that we received from a significant other, as
without them.
something special and memorable. We are also
In the process of acquiring material attached to family heirloom because of its sense of
possessions, smart consumers consider their history and connectedness with someone dear to
capacity to buy and their economic self- sufficiency. us in the past. Added to these, we keep
Some people would satisfy first their need in daily memorabilia that we received from significant
life; they curtail their wants knowing their ability to people whom we value, admire and idolize in our
consistently meet their needs. But there are others life.
who choose more luxurious materials, buy high-
Conclusion
end brands because they are aware of their
economic identity and economic status. They are The foregoing discussion is in accord with
rich and sustainable. So, their choices project class, what Russel Belk (1988) posited: that we regard
elegance and affluence, reflecting their social our possessions as part of ourselves. Truly, we are
status. But whether a person is meeting his needs, what we possess. They reveal who we are. They
or satisfying his wants, his material possessions and reflect our culture and beliefs, economic identity
choices reflect his personality, aspiration and self- and economic status. Through them, we are
identity. viewed either as belonging to the rich or to the
poor stratum of society. We can also claim that our
Roland Barthes (1915-1980), a French
possessions are our personal choices and
Critical theorist, was the first to observe the
preferences and that they convey to people our
relationship that people have with objects.
taste, our style. They define who we truly are. We
According to him, a sign has two elements, the
can safely state, to a certain extent; that our
signifier, referring to its physical form and the
material and economic self is an expression of our
signified, referring to one's mental concept about
personality and a revelation of our social identity.
the object and its effect on him. So, we can say that
a person buys the object because he believes it is a
reflection of who and what his is.
Likewise, he introduced semiology, a study
of objects signs. According to him, objects, as signs
or things, could be decoded to convey a message
beyond the object itself and about the person using
it. Objects are not just things; they are also buying
the product because other people in his
community or a reflection of the lives of
communities and individuals. One organization are
buying it to show he belongs. This points to the
realization that the buying or purchasing behavior
of a person can also be influenced by what the
community or the organization organizational
values. It enhances and sustains community or
relationship and behavior.
Our Attachment to our Possessions

11

CHAPTER 4
The Spiritual Self
Chapter 4 focuses on the nature of spiritual
self, the aspects of spirituality, the difference
between spirituality and religiosity and an
assessment of one's spirituality and religiosity.
In Chapter 1, you learned that the Physical
Self has dual characteristics: it has a physical mind,
the subject part; and the physical body, the object
part. It is the physical mind that directs the body to
maintain itself for survival, protection and
reproduction. It was emphasized that we need to
keep our body in good condition so that the other
selves, especially the spiritual self, would function
very well.
In our daily life, we need vitamins to keep
our body and mind active. If we provide our
physical self with either good, or evil, so would our
spiritual self also be. That is because the physical
self and the spiritual self are partners. The good or
bad conduct of the physical self is the main
determinant when the spiritual self can be good, or
evil. If the physical self is tainted with negative
energy, like selfish motives and evil actions, the
spiritual self would be anxious and unhappy; but a
wholesome, physical energy coming, for example,
from good motivation and righteous actions, would
create a good and happy spiritual self.
This is similar to the idea that a good tree
would bear good fruit, while the evil one, evil fruit.
Our catechism taught us that the physical body,
apart from the spirit, is dead. So, it is with the
spiritual self since it grows only in the flesh. The
physical self can only thrive as long as the spiritual
self is in it. Such is the relationship of the spiritual
self and the physical self.
The Nature of Spiritual Self
Spiritual self is another dimension of the
Self. It is personal to each of us. It is referred to as
12
the real, true, or authentic YOU, without influence,
stereotypes, or assumptions. It is not related to our
race, our religion, gender, nor our concerns, NOT
even our physical appearance. It is the YOU without
patterns. It is the beautiful YOU in appearance
form.
How much do you know of your spiritual
self? It is good to ask ourselves about this because
while we pay more attention to the other selves,
like physical and material, the spiritual self is the
least explored. That is because we focus more on
our physical realities, rather than on the spiritual.
But we have to remember that our spiritual self is
always there in the background of our existence,
continually providing us the needed inspiration and
motivation. She is the invisible force that holds the
whole self together. It recognizes all the needs of
the other selves that may lead to self-integration,
increased awareness, intuition, insight and
communication between and among the other
selves.
David James Lee, Spirituality expert of Wei
Wu Wisdom, described our spiritual self as our
intangible and invisible self, the gut feeling and
inspiration inside us. It is true to us ONLY. Lee
compared it to a beautiful candle that never
extinguishes. No one else could extinguish it, but
ourselves. It is the spiritual energy that makes
intuition flow without effort from within, the
source of inspiration that motivates us to move on.
The word "inspiration" connotes the
presence of a spirit within us. Inspiration keeps us
going, living a more positive life. One who is
inspired never stops moving forward. He is
motivated to go a mile more and achieve more and
live a more productive life. Such is the role of
inspiration in our life.
Lee considers spiritual self as the higher
self. He emphasizes the importance of getting
connected with the spiritual self since this helps us
find a balance between the physical and spiritual
selves to enable us to live to our full potential. It is
through our spiritual self that we can communicate
with the Divine. If we are disconnected from it, we
hang on to our old self, continue living in the
carousel of negativity, being critical, judgmental
and continue comparing ourselves with others,
protecting ourselves from them. But according to
him, we have nothing to fear of others as regards
our spiritual self because it is only us who can
create a spiritual disturbance on it.
 Bob Mangroo, in his blog, Your Spiritual
Self, beautifully referred to spiritual self as the
eternal self, the intangible, non- physical, invisible
part of our existence. He called it, SOUL. He claims
that with our physical reality, we can identify our
date and place of our birth, meaning the beginning
of our existence. However, it is not true with our
soul. We cannot tell when our soul was born, when
it began to exist and where it is located within us.
That is so because our soul has been in existence
even before our physical existence and will
continue to exist even after we are gone.
The idea of the existence of the soul leads
us to understand that the nature of spiritual self is
not connected with religion. Our Christian faith
taught us, that our body is the temple, the in-
dwelling, of the Holy Spirit. We believe that we
have a soul and that, when we die, our physical
body is buried, or cremated, as the case may be,
but our soul goes to either heaven, or hell, to
remain there eternally, depending on the kind of
life we lived when we were still alive. This is exactly
the idea purported by Mangroo. He insists that the
nature of our eternal self is to live in the spiritual
realm for eternity after it leaves our physical body.
Our spiritual self should manifest how we live our
Christian faith, regardless of religion. We live our
spiritual life highly motivated, aspiring for eternal
life because our soul is destined for eternity.
Spirituality and Religiosity
The terms spirituality and religiosity are
often times used interchangeably but one is distinct
from the other. Let us clarify this distinction.
Spirituality
Typically, spirituality is usually associated
with our own existence and a search for the
purpose and meaning of life. It is a universal human
experience that has touched us all. Some people
deem spirituality as a spiritual experience that is
sacred and transcendent, or something that is
beyond any other ordinary experience; to others, it
is simply an awareness of being alive and of how
one lives his life.
Others may view their spiritual life to be
intensely linked to their association with a, church,
a temple, a mosque, an organization, or a person
and it is within these entities where they see their
worth and real value in life. Still others see the
value of their life according to their personal
relationship with their God, realizing that apart
13
from this God, they are nothing. Some others
realize their spiritual life becomes alive in any form
of art or in the practice of their profession. We
know of many retired teachers who still devote
their life teaching, despite their age. Asked why?
The simple, candid reply was, "I find joy and
fulfilment in teaching." It is their way of expressing
their spiritual life. It is in what they do that they
experience contentment. Like our sense of
purpose, we view spirituality according to the way
we adjust to our experiences and relationships.
Spirituality may be connected to some
larger questions about life and identity. Questions
like: Am I a good person? Why do I have to go
through this difficulty? Why are these things
happening to me? Are they worth my sacrifices?
What is spirituality?
To Christina Puchalski (2014), MD, Director,
Division of the South Wales Institute for Spirituality
& Health, spirituality is the aspect of humanity that
refers to the way individuals seek and express
meaning and purpose of the way they experience
their connectedness to the moment, the self, to
others, to nature and to the significant or sacred.
To Beauregard and O'Leary, (2007), spirituality is
any experience that is thought to bring the
experiences into contact with the Divine. But it is
not just ANY experience that feels meaningful; it is
one that is beyond the ordinary; one that puts
some meaning into one's life. Another definition of
spirituality refers to the dimension that is in
harmony with the universe and strives for answers
about the infinite that comes into focus when a
person faces emotional stress (Murray & Zenter,
2015).
What do these definitions tell us about
spirituality?
The definitions reveal the aspects of
spirituality. The first aspect is spirituality
emphasizes the idea of meaning and purposes that
go beyond physical realities of life. The idea helps
us understand why we go through difficult
situations and why such happen to us. It makes us
realize that things happen for a reason and they
have a purpose. Having this in mind, we become
more enlightened and inspired and more
appreciative of the experience.
The second is spirituality allows us to build
connections to other people, nature and to the
sacred and divine. Our spirituality leads us to adopt
a more positive attitude and practice the
appropriate behavior towards others. Spirituality
makes us kind, considerate of others; it encourages
us to live out the gift of the Spirit in us, namely:
prudence, kindness, counsel, fortitude, wisdom,
piety and fear of the Lord. All these are a reflection
of our core values.
The third aspect of spirituality that we can
deduce is that spirituality suggests sacredness and
transcendence. It is the quality of being concerned
with the human spirit or soul. It is a broad concept
that includes a sense of connection to something
bigger than us. It typically involves a search for
purpose and meaning of life, answering such
questions as: Who am I? Why am I here? Why
should I go through this experience? Admit it or
not, many, if not all, have gone through this
because, as already mentioned, spirituality is a
universal human experience that touches us all.
Spirituality is not innate in us, meaning, we
were not born with it. It is developed and acquired
through our personal, environmental and/or social
exposures and experiences. Our spirituality is often
times expressed through our religious practices
which explains why it is sometimes confused with
religiosity. While spirituality may incorporate
elements of religion, spirituality is not the same as
religiosity. In what ways do they vary? Let's find out
how.
Religiosity
Religiosity is defined by Sherkat (2015) as a
characteristic of individuals and collectivities that
displays various features of beliefs about the
supernatural. It refers to how individuals and social
groups engage in a behavior related to the Higher
Being. It is a term used to describe the extent to
which religion influences societies and intersects
with the other areas of public life. Generally, it is
related to how much a particular religious doctrine
is internalized. Macayan, et. al, (2018) said
religiosity refers to adherence to a belief system
and practices associated with a tradition in which
there is agreement about what is believed and
practiced. This includes proscriptions of a particular
church, like manner of dressing when attending
church activities, obligatory contributions for the
support of their church, proper observance of
feasts and rituals, even in the choice of hair style,
the kind of food to be eaten or not eaten, etc.
14
We are aware that different churches have
different ways of expressing their beliefs and values
and participating in religious communities. Some of
these include attending regularly church services
and activities and other periodic church events,
paying their tithes, reciting prayers and doxologies
and other similar activities. Instrumental to these is
the influence of the parents, teachers and the type
of religious communities or congregations they are
affiliated with and/or the leaders of such
organizations.
Schools play a very important role in the
religiosity of students. Their curriculum allows the
formation of clubs and organizations. The
involvement of the students in these organizations
provides them with the opportunities to work and
get connected to and interact with, other students,
faculty and staff. Eventually, they help and guide
the school publics to understand and appreciate
the value of the things they do, like what the
teachers require, in the case of the students, and
even find themselves appreciating their school life.
Professionals also organize themselves to
express their faith and religiosity in the religious
communities they formed. Take the case of the
charismatic movements of different churches.
Through their prayer meetings, some people claim
having experienced the supernatural, feeling closer
to God, especially during the worship part of the
meeting. To others, this is an opportunity to come
to terms with themselves and the other members
of the movement.
We have heard of prisoners organizing
themselves as a charismatic group, joining Bible
sharing sessions and participating in praise-and-
worship gatherings while in prison. There are many
who claim they have experienced intervention
from a supernatural power, leading them to
personal conversion. As a result, they live a
reformed life.
We are aware of the involvement of the
media, taking part in national spiritual formation
through their special programs on TV, the radio,
magazines and other means of social
communications. We recognize their effort in
promoting family and universal values, like
compassion, respect for life, love of country,
respect for authority, concern for the least, the lost
and the last of society. We see how people respond
to calls for assistance especially during natural
calamities.
 From all these, we see that religiosity is serenity and enjoys peace of mind; he/ she counts
communal, happening in communities and in his/her blessings. He/she focuses on what is good
groups. People express their beliefs and values, in others; he/she is appreciative of the world
their commitment and conservatism and even, around him/her and is connected to
their skepticism. In contrast, spirituality is himself/herself.
individual; conversion is something personal,
A person with a healthy spiritual life takes
because individuals behave and react differently to
things in stride. He/she accepts any circumstances
the same situations and events. For instance, the
in his/her life positively and embraces them as part
manner of exercising attributes like compassion,
of his/her existence. He/she believes that any
inner peace and spiritual conviction may vary from
experience in life, difficult though it is part of a
person to person. One may demonstrate
greater scheme of things and therefore, has, a
compassion in ways he/she knows best, like giving
purpose and meaning. He/ she puts his/her trust
donations, visiting the affected area, etc. Some
and faith in the Divine that provides him/ her
contribute cash, others, in other forms.
anchorage in life. He/she is aware of his/her
While we see distinctions between behavior and actions and owns up the
spirituality and religiosity, they are closely related consequences of such. As a loving and forgiving
to each other. With spirituality, we find answers to person, he/she forgives his/her offenders and
such questions, as-Where do I find meaning? How apologizes whenever he/she himself/herself
do I feel connected? How should I live? Religiosity, offends others.
on the other hand, leads us to respond to such
A spiritual person engages in activities that
questions, as: What practices, rules, or rituals
boost his/her self- identity and self-actualization
should I follow? What is right or wrong? What is
and that lead him/her to exercise such virtues as
true or false? Where these questions overlap is our
compassion and social concern. He/she enhances
individual experience which affects the way we
his/her interpersonal relationship through proper
think, feel and believe. These spiritual questions
communication, trust in and respect for others and
sometimes overlap and we reflect and ask: Where
his/her ability to resolve conflict. He/she avoids all
do we personally find meaning, connection and
forms of negativity in his/her life because he/she
value?
has self-confidence and high self-esteem.
From the above discussion, we see that
In contrast, a person who does not have a
spirituality is not dependent on one's religious
healthy physical and spiritual well-being is not
orientation or affiliation. One may be spiritual even
balanced, focused and connected to self and
if he/she is not attached to any church or religion in
others. Being in this state, he/she continues his/her
the same manner that one may be religious but is
habit of being critical, judgmental and negative.
not necessarily a spiritual person.
His/her usual reaction to any situation is negative.
The Importance of Spirituality Getting angry and being defensive is normal to this
type of person. He/she has no time to appreciate
Our spirituality helps us live a balanced and
those around him/her, nor does he/she have the
focused life, a balanced mental health and well-
time to love himself/herself, others and anything
being. With this kind of life, we become aware of
that has life, including nature. Strengthening
our choices, behavior and actions. We live simply
Spirituality
and in moderation. Our spiritual life will direct us to
focus only on the basics and essential with Spirituality is part of our natural process of
preference to what is sacred and transcendental. In self-development. It grows as we live in and within,
such a state, we can enjoy a more peaceful life and our respective communities and as we maintain
develop our fullest potentials. our relationship with our family and the society, in
general. In the home, children can imbibe
What are the consequences of having a
spirituality from their parents by the positive and
well-balanced life? person who is healthy physically
nurturing relationship experienced from them and
and spiritually develops into a spiritual person.
through the spiritual orientation parents provide
Being one he/she believes and accepts that
them with to serve as a solid foundation of their
suffering and death are parts of life. He/she is
healthy spiritual life. In schools, mental health and
positive in his/her disposition; he/she lives in
well-being may be imbibed by the students from
15
their teachers and from the vision, mission, goals
and the core values of the school. The curricular
programs including seminars and activities on the
development of humanitarian values of
compassion, empathy and sensitivity for the
welfare of others and other activities, like retreats
and recollections, can foster reflection, self-
evaluation and contemplation.
Through contemplation, we can answer
such questions as: Who am I? Am I a good person?
What is the meaning of all happening in my life? To
where are they leading me? How can I put meaning
into all these? As a result, we become more aware
of our connection with the Divine Being who leads
us to see the purpose and meaning in every
circumstance we go through, and helps us
appreciate our blessings in life.
According to Lee, it is beneficial to remain
connected with one's eternal self. To do this, he
suggests three ways. First, have a specific intention
and stay focused on it; keep it in your heart and
mind and decide when and how you would
accomplish it. Second, live life cheerfully, honestly,
truthfully and authentically. Enjoy what you are
doing. Never lie to others or to yourself, as you
work in achieving your intention. And third, be self-
responsible. It is your desire to be a spiritual
person. It is therefore, your responsibility to live
out consistently your goal, your target, that is - to
become a spiritual person.
How spiritual are you? How is this related with
the way you live your physical life?

16

CHAPTER 6
The Digital Self
Prior to the turn of the 21st century before
the major social networking sites including
Facebook and LinkedIn were born, the average
person does not have to be concerned about
building or maintaining an online or digital identity.
As social and business engagements increasingly
occur in the online world, creating and maintaining
an online identity become a must. These online
interactions make people increasingly aware of
their digital self, or that aspect of the self that they
present in the digital environment. In this Chapter,
we examine: (1) our digital self, (2) how we present
and manage our digital self, (3) the impact of online
interactions and (4) the boundaries of our digital
self to guide us in thriving best in the digital world.
The Digital Self
Our self-concept consists of schemas that
relate to how we view ourselves. These schemas
are formed based on our personal experiences and
from our interactions with others. An aspect of the
self that we present online is our digital self. Unlike
our real self that develops organically in the natural
environment, our digital self is deliberately
constructed by the individual. Our real self greatly
benefits from direct interactions with others, while
our digital self interacts with others from a distance
in a disembodied environment (Zhao, 2005). In the
real world, there is a rich array of information
available that helps us understand situations
including people's actual messages and contextual
cues such as facial expressions, gestures, bodily
movements, vocal tones and use of space. In the
17
online world, people generally have limited or
fragmented information and sometimes lack the
opportunity to conduct a 'reality check. For
instance, people can readily make comments based
on a slice of behavior that they see online but may
not have full knowledge of the context behind the
behavior. However, the online audience can be
more truthful and less inhibited in giving their
feedback as compared to the offline audience. This
can be seen in the comments section of many
websites, for example, in YouTube, where viewers
spontaneously express their approval or
disapproval of video contents.
Undeniably, we are affected by the
appraisals of others, whether these are obtained
online or offline. We are usually more affected by
the appraisals of people whom we highly respect
and value, than by those of whom we regard as
least important. In the digital world, the deluge of
negative comments that can appear in a person's
space can be so overwhelming, that they cause
distress to the person, regardless of who made
them. Trolling, cyberbullying, bashing and shaming
are modern terminologies referring to how
seemingly unimportant people including strangers
have the capacity to create damage to their
victims. In face-to-face interactions, rarely would
one experience taking in a massive volume of bad
evaluations from others, in the same way, that
rarely would people throw hateful comments to
others particularly on random people. These bold
behaviors, however, are quite present in the digital
world and may stem from a disembodied
environment that fosters the detachment of the
self (Zhao, 2005). Thus, some people feel freer to
do as they please with little thought of the
consequences of their actions, including the
damaging effects they may cause on other people.
Our online identity has certainly evolved through
time. In the 90s, our online identity mainly stayed
around chatrooms. Now, it has access to a
multitude of websites just by logging on our
username and password. It dynamically goes in and
out of social networking sites including Facebook,
Instagram and LinkedIn, and other internet spaces.
Also, our digital self develops a wider connection in
the process, where we gained a great number of
friends, likers, followers, or subscribers. However,
these connections do not necessarily turn into
'significant others' or important figures in one's life.
Interestingly, our digital self keeps 'estranged
friends' and 'intimate strangers' (Zhao, 2005).
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). Thus, most
social media accounts feature only the exciting and
pleasant details in a person's life like places they
travel, their outfit of the day (OOTD), fancy
restaurants they dined in, etc. Then there are those
who choose to share their private lives more
openly to their followers or subscribers by
presenting or showing their day- to-day or typical
activities in their vlogs. At this point in time, there
is leveling of the field as social networking sites
provide a platform by which both ordinary people
and celebrities can engage in the same kind of self-
presentation by starring in their own channels.
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). As found in a study involving
Facebook users, those who spend a longer time in
this site perceived others to be happier and had
better lives compared to them (Chou & Edge,
2012). Certainly, this is a faulty assumption because
people tend to present mostly the positive aspects
of their lives and exclude the unpleasant or
mundane experiences. 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).
Thus, they can go by different "handles" or "user
names." The online identity/identities may be the
same as one's real identity or can be constructed.
For example, internet trolls, who provoke quarrels
or upset people in online communities, are
generally known to hide their real identities.
Impact of Online Interactions on the Self
Our digital self is not completely separate
from our real self such that our online interactions
can impact our actual well- being. Our
engagements online have been shown to produce
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both positive and negative effects to individuals.
Our awareness, self. control and regulation and our
individual personalities together in order that the
benefits outweigh the risks as we engage with the
online world.
The positive effects of online interactions
are seen in their psychosocial and educational
benefits. Some evidence points to the
enhancements of social relationships,
improvements in communication and greater sense
of well-being (Wood, Bukowski, & Lis, 2016). The
social networking sites, in particular, enhanced
social connectedness by allowing for like- minded
individuals to come together not only online but
even in communities. For example, these sites
provide opportunities for community engagement
such as volunteering for certain causes, for
development and sharing of artistic endeavors and
for fostering diversity and inclusivity (O'Keefe and
Clarke-Pearson, Council on Communication Media,
2011). Better communication and more closeness
have also been noted, particularly to those
individuals that maintained communication with
existing friends online (Valkenburg & Peter, 2007).
Additionally, these online interactions improve
people's emotional well-being by decreasing
loneliness and providing emotional relief (Lou et al,
2012). Certain studies also indicated that active
social media users who updated and viewed only
their profiles have greater self-esteem (Gonzales &
Hancock, 2011). Further, our online activities have
educational benefits by fostering learning about
the world and multiculturalism. Aside from the
psychosocial benefits, online activities enhanced
educational opportunities, where students connect
with others for homework or group project and are
able to obtain learning tools (O'Keefe and Clarke-
Pearson, Council on Communication Media, 2011).
While there are documented benefits of being
active in the online world, there are also negative
effects. Among these are cyberbullying,
misunderstandings, unwanted contact and
unintentional disclosure while using the internet
sites (Christofides et al., 2012). Parents are also
wary of potential exposure of their children to
inappropriate contents and sexting (O'Keefe and
Clarke-Pearson, Council on Communication Media,
2011).
Boundaries of the Online Self
Our online self has farther and longer reach
than our real self. This means that we can be
known and reached by anyone in the world, at the
same time, the activities that we do online also
become collective ongoing records of us. Most of
our online activities are bound to be part of our
digital footprints. Digital footprints include traces
of our various self-presentations through our
online profiles, comments, likes; traces of our
activity including cookies, web analytics and data
sharing; and other things that we share online
(Osborne, 2015). Our online engagements bear a
threat particularly to our digital footprints and
reputation. Individuals who lack awareness of
privacy issues may post inappropriate contents
online that may jeopardize career or business
prospects (O'Keefe and Clarke-Pearson, Council on
Communication Media, 2011). Further, any
personal information may be used for fraud and
other illegal activities. Therefore, it is important
that we know the boundaries in our online
engagements and manage our digital identity - our
personal brand - with care.

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