Cristina Rondena

BSEE-3B
 CHAPTER 2:
Unraveling The Self
LESSON 6:
The Digital Self
 1. THE SELF IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGY
• SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media and other virtual communities play a crucial role
in forming one's self and identity. Social media are online
communication tools that enable people to interact with each other.
Social media allow people to express themselves.

Through social media, a person may act and interact differently

from one another. Hence, most people will be less likely to show
their true "self" to others online. This event is called "ONLINE
DISEMBODIMENT".
 EXTENDED SELF IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
1. Dematerialization. Documents, photos, videos, and music
are now largely invisible that may be stored locally or in the
cloud.
2. Reembodiment. Just like our possessions, we, too, have
lost the constraints of our physical bodies. People who join
virtual communities are disembodied and reembodied as
avatars.
3. Sharing. Sharing information online is easy, and most
people share it. Hence, accessing and downloading this
information for free has the internet world abuzz.
 EXTENDED SELF IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
4. Co-construction of self. Telephones, emails, and blogs
increasingly help in constructing the extended self in the
digital world.
5. Distributed Memory. A modern set of devices and
technologies (calendars, calculators, and phones) allows an
expanded archive for keeping records of our memories.
2. DIGITAL IDENTITY: WHO ARE YOU
ONLINE?
All the information online is posted by you or by
those with access to your social media sites. All that
people learn about you based on what you search for,
where you search, what you post, and what others
post about you makes up your digital footprint.
Every email, post, photo, and click you make online
leaves a trail..
 2. DIGITAL IDENTITY: WHO ARE YOU
ONLINE?
Generally, people have role identities. Roles are sets of
behaviors and characters that are expected from an
individual. In an online environment, one's role identity is
vital for a person to project his/her online identity. However,
participation in an online environment could greatly affect a
person's sense of self. The social identity that you establish
in the virtual world is what makes up your online identity or
internet persona.
 3. THE ONLINE DISINHIBITION
EFFECT

This refers to the absence of social

boundaries, restrictions, reservations, and
inhibitions when communicating online.
John Suler coined the term in 2004.
 3. THE ONLINE DISINHIBITION
EFFECT
• Two classifications of online disinhibition:
Benign Disinhibition
This describes behavior in which people
disclose more about themselves on the Internet
than they would in real life. Examples are
opening up about problems in real life, sharing
your deepest fears, and sharing your worst
experiences.
 3. THE ONLINE DISINHIBITION
EFFECT
• Two classifications of online disinhibition:

Toxic Disinhibition
This describes undesirable behaviors online.
Examples are using rude language,
threatening others online, viewing porn sites,
etc. An individual does so because of the idea
of anonymity online.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ONLINE DISINHINBITION

Anonymity
("You don't know
me.")
Anonymity is a cloak of
invisibility. It allows us to
assume or take on anther
identity or personality
online.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ONLINE DISINHINBITION

Invisibility
("You can't see
me.")
Anonymity helps you feel less
exposed. Anonymity is also a cloak
that renders us invisible. When you
are invisible, your reservations are
low because you do not have to
worry about your body, language,
tone, etc.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ONLINE DISINHINBITION

Asynchronicity
("See you later.")
The asynchronous nature of
the internet allows you to
think before you click, which
can save you from trouble
later.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ONLINE DISINHINBITION

Solipsistic
Introjection
("It's all in my
head.") When we are online, it feels
like we exist in a dream. Many
of us say things online that we
would not be able to say
publicly.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ONLINE DISINHINBITION

Dissociative
Imagination
("It's just a game.")
Online, social spaces can be
a vacation to our imagination,
where we are free to think,
speak, and communicate as
we see fit.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ONLINE DISINHINBITION

Minimization Of
Status And
Authority
("Your rules don't apply You are not easily intimidated
here.") by authorities online. The idea
that you can avoid these people
face-to-face makes the internet an
equal playing field.