Week 4 Reflection: Discovering Digital Identity
Are online contexts important for identity development?
Wängqvist and Frisén provide great insight about identity development in online contexts. Specifically, they argue that the lack of geographical proximity, the building of online-relationships, and the potential absence of parental control allow for adolescents to openly explore their identity online (Wängqvist & Frisén, 2016). I believe that this argument is applicable for adults as well. Internet usage and social media profiles don’t have an age limit. Therefore, all individuals are able to explore identities online. Nonetheless, adolescents are still in the developing stages of “finding themselves”, whereas most adults may feel concrete in their identities, so I can see how this identity-building is more apparent in adolescents. Additionally, the authors provide supportive evidence for these claims (such as the strengthening of ethnic identities online), yet they make a comment that makes me ponder if the development process of online and offline identities is really that different.
The authors state that “…identity development online are strongly influenced by other people and individuals create their online identity narrative together with other people” (Wängqvist & Frisén, 2016). I think that this point aligns with offline development as well. It seems common that individuals in offline environments are also influenced by the people around them. For instance, when I switched high schools during my junior year, I felt that I needed to change the way that I dressed in order to “fit in” with the rest of the students. This further makes me wonder if people turn to the online world to explore themselves — away from the offline influence — only to be influenced by online personas. Knowing this, are there restrictions to this abundance of online freedom? Though there is more opportunity, are individuals still feeling like they need to conform to a specific identity to portray an online presence that is within the “norm”? It seems that this may not be easily escaped.
How can social networks impact learning through digital identity formation?
Marshall McLuhan’s notion of “the medium is the message” (McLuhan, 1964) is one that has been applicable across all technological advancements including our digital society today. This concept is basically stating that the medium (in this case social networks) is an extension of our senses. And, it emphasizes three things: media are always interconnected, media change the scale and speed of human life overtime, and we are inclined to receive content as if we are just immediately linked with one another (McLuhan, 1964). The phrase is truly a reminder that media is powerful and has the ability to impact our knowledge, relationships, identities, and more. So, it is no wonder that social networks have a significant effect on learning.
The internet offers “…asynchronous or synchronous interactions and information retrieval and exchange among individuals and groups” (Bozkurt & Tu, 2016). Take a look at this class, for example. In this online course, we as students are able to connect with each other and learn more information about certain topics solely through the internet (tying back to McLuhan’s last emphasis). Online articles, videos, and discussions have become our professors’ sidekick. It provides access to the things that we may have never cared to learn about otherwise. This idea can also be applied to digital identity formation.
In my opinion, TikTok has become a leader in online identity formation. If you swipe through the app, you can begin to notice how there are different categories of content. In essence, the successful people of TikTok have a specific digital identity that is presented through their content. There are the people who dance, those who make skits, those who review products, those who post singing videos, and more. Even more interestingly, their digital identity has really been shaped by the abundance of positive feedback that they have received from other online users. The singer whose video went viral will continue to post more singing videos; the creator whose skit received praise will continue to make more routines. The “exchange among individuals and groups” and the “information retrieval” (Bozkurt & Tu, 2016) that goes along with that shape digital identity. Viewers are learning about digital identity from what they see from respected influencers, and creators are learning about digital identity through other creators and the feedback that they receive from users. It’s really a never-ending cycle of exploration.
How do we help people discover and experience the many emerging possibilities [of the Internet] for networked, human connection while allowing them to safely grow and share their identities and the identities of others?
I think that informing individuals at a young age about internet safety is beneficial to experiencing all of the its opportunities. Digital literacy is a skill that needs development, therefore exposing individuals to the internet’s risks and beauties at a young age will allow for more freedom in the future. For instance, when people open their first social media profiles, they will know that putting private information online isn’t the best idea. Overall, I believe that the better an individual understands online safety, the more they can explore without getting into trouble.