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INTRODUCTION

These days, more people are becoming active in using the internet for
research, pleasure, business, communication, and other purposes. Indeed, the
Internet is of great help for everyone. As the Internet becomes more central in our
day-to-day lives, issues relating to our online identities have become more important,
and the potential impacts on our lives more significant in both positive and negative
ways.

THE SELF IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

If one looks at the virtual world and observe its methods of interaction, then it
is easy to see that the world online is vast and endless. There are multiple ways for
people to meet, play games, create a network, gather information and present their
identities (Pickhardt, 2014). The concept of the digital self was born out of what Belk
(2013) called the extended self. He explained that what we materially possess says
something about our identity. Nowadays, things such as laptops, computer tablets,
and smart phones are examples of Belk (2013) believed to be part of ourselves. Even
our digital possessions like our email, online photos, videos and Facebook status are
considered to be part of the development of our digital self.

There a lot of options for the adolescent to define and associate themselves
with. Adolescents now have more options to decide on how they want to portray
and promote themselves, then presenting their newfound identity online by posting
on the different social media platforms for the world to see. The adolescent’s
validation of their image can be seen through the number of friends, followers, likes,
or views. It is safe to say that the digital self is an identity that is carefully crafted.
Because every posted description of oneself can be likened to that of an ad, it is
designed to define the self, publicize a particular image, enhance social standing,
and attract attention (Pickhardt, 2014).

The thing with the digital world is we can form and present our identity
however we want it. But in order for us to have a solid grasp of who we truly are, we
have to be able to align the offline reality with the digital one. From the article of
Hicks (2010), she said that “if we are unable to take control in defining our digital self
then we become increasingly more dependent on this digital reality”.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS EFFECT ON THE SELF

Use of social media accounts have been prolific amongst adolescents. They
use their Facebook (or other social media platform) to communicate with their
friends and express their opinions. Researchers have also shown that adolescents see
social media as a social need (Wood et al, 2015, Gonzales & Hancock, 2011 &
Pickhardt, 2014). Social medial is referred to as a type of technology that allows
instantaneous
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communication, status updates, and social networking among individuals (Wood et
al., 2015). It is designed to share the information about the self with others. Because
of social media, the identity is formed because it allows adolescents to experiment
with different behaviors and interaction styles. The following are some of the
important results of a study conducted by Wood and her colleagues (2015):

POSITIVE IMPACT NEGATIVE IMPACT

Enhancement of social contact Cyber-bullying

Adolescents who regularly Even though there have been

communicate with their existing
friends online feel much closer
towards each other
positive reports on positive relational
experiences, a lot of adolescents
were also subjected to online
meanness, misunderstandings,
unwanted contact, unintentional
disclosure

Communication Reckless behavior

Through social media, both public
and private organizations keep their
target population well-informed on
their operations
More often than not, adolescents
“add” friends on Facebooks whom
they have never met. They also
engage in careless interaction with
strangers online.

Multiculturalism Depressive symptoms

Because the internet is not Due to the frequency of the

geographically limited, people are
then exposed to the different cultures
and practices around the world
adolescents logging in on their social
accounts, they are busy with the
virtual world and have replaced it
with face to face interactions with
friends and family.

Another research also links a person’s self-esteem and exposure to Facebook

(Gonzales & Hancock, 2011). Since people share their personal opinions, likes and
dislikes online through various Facebook status updates and shared images, they are
also placing themselves through the scrutiny of others. The information that is shared
allows a person to become aware of their weaknesses and shortcomings, which
could lower self-esteem. On the other hand, if share information is carefully selected,
self esteem, could be raised. The significant results of the study of Gonzales &
Hancock (2011) are as follows:
 • Selective self-presentation: It is a process that was responsible for
influencing self-esteem. If a person takes the time to carefully select
things to place on their profile, they should be able to focus more on
the positive aspects of themselves, making them generally feel better
about themselves. In contrast, a non-edited or a thoughtless post
would most likely decrease one’s self-esteem.

• Self-awareness: Social media sites such as, Facebook can be an avenue

for a person to become more objectively self-aware. Photos,
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shares and status updates allows people to become more critical
about themselves. In addition, a person also becomes much more
aware that other people will also evaluate the information poster on
their social media accounts.

The digital world posits challenges and changes in how a person defines
himself. As technology grows more advanced, our interactions will also evolve with it.
Belk (2013) leaves with an insight one should ponder on: “Ultimately, we need to
consider not only how the digital world helps us extend our sense of self but also what
type of self and relationships it helps us extend.”
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