UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

PART 6: UNPACKING THE SELF: THE DIGITAL SELF

CYBERPSYCHOLOGY
• New field within applied Psychology
• Branch of Psychology that examines:
• how we interact with other using technology
• how our behavior is influenced by technology
• how technology can be developed to best suit our needs
• how our psychological states can be affected by technologies
• Mainly focused in the world wide web specifically social media

SELF AND IDENTITY IN THE CYBERSPACE

In the online world, the role of identity is where multiple aspects of self can be expressed.

Identity - development of one’s self-concept, including one’s thoughts and feelings about
oneself

Identity vs Anonymity
• Identity - In an identifiable environment, where a person’s identity is known, any
deviance from established social norms may be punished or ridiculed.
• Anonymity - In a fully anonymous online world where responsibility is absent, the
masks people wear offline are often discarded and their ‘true’ selves allowed to
emerge.

ONLINE BEHAVIOR THEORIES

• Equalization Hypothesis (Kiesler et al., 1984)
• with the removal of the social cues, a reduction of associated stereotypes
may occur, and therefore may lead to increased social power in the online
world
• it regards the web as a democratic technology that levels the playing field by
reducing the gaps in costs between minor and major groups

• Social Identity Model of Deindividualization Effects (Zimbardo, 1979)

 • importance of the situational explicit variables in a social situation
• strengthens the influence of social norms and their effect when social
identity is strong
• SIDE states that group conformity help individuals to identify, affirm, and
strengthen their individual and even their group identities
• people online rely even more on group-based discriminators
• anonymity encourages stronger self-categorization and fosters stronger
"SIDE" effects toward group mentality

ANONYMITY
Anonymity on the Internet applies to any interaction a user has on the Internet that
protects his or her identity from being shared with another user or with a third party.
Different levels of anonymity exist, and examples of anonymity can be seen all over the
Internet.

Anonymity allows people to speak their mind on a variety of subjects, to share their
personal beliefs, politics without fear of discrimination or retaliation. They can speak about
matters of importance to them with a potential worldwide audience, when normally they
would have very few people willing to hear their thoughts.

However, with the power of anonymity comes the ability for the power to be abused.
Anonymity allows for people to make criticisms, hateful comments (racism, bullying, etc.) or
make themselves a nuisance without fear of retribution.

• Positive effect in the role of privacy or the amount of contact that someone has with
others
• Negative effect - increased aggression and anti-social behavior
• Autonomy - where people can try out new behaviors without fear of social
consequences

Pros and Cons of Online Anonymity

PROS:
• Freedom of Speech
- People can freely express their views regarding certain topics.
- People who are struggling with illnesses and life struggles are able to find
support without fear.
• Less Judgment
- When you’re posting anonymously online, no one knows who you are, that
means you can discuss sensitive things freely without having to worry that
you’ll be judged negatively in your daily lie. Sure, you’ll catch fire for it online,
but you can walk away from your keyboard any time.

CONS:
• Online Abuse
- People feel more empowered to speak more harshly than they might in the
real world.
• It’s Easy To Lie
 - If you’re online you can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want
to do without consequences. There’s always a possibility that you could end
up talking to someone who isn’t who they say to be.
• Few Repercussions/Less Accountability
• Information Cannot Be Trusted

SCREEN DEPENDENCY DISORDER

• Emerging problem (not yet included in DSM-5 and/or ICD-10)
• Dependent, problematic behavior, including withdrawal symptoms, increasing
tolerance (for screen use)
• failure to reduce or stop screen activities, lying about the extent of use, loss of
outside interests, and continuation of screen use despite adverse consequences

Screen dependency disorder is a modern age health challenge for both kids and parents.
Research proclaims that the excessive use of mobile phones and exposure to blue lights can
impact your kid’s brain which can lead to a disorder called Screen Dependency Disorder
(SDD), affected children may experience excessive gain or loss in their weight, insomnia,
headache, and most importantly poor nutrition during their initial growth and development
stage.

Screen addicted kids have shown up with problematic behavior like withdrawal symptoms
including no interest in outside or indoor activities. They might even lie about the duration
of their mobile usage and despite all the hazards, they might continue with the same.

RESPONSIBLE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Setting boundaries to your online self: Smart Sharing
Guide questions to consider before posting:
• Is this post necessary?
• Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny? Warm-hearted? Teachable? Or am I
just making noise online without purpose?
• Have we (as a family or parent/child) resolved this issue? An issue still being worked
out in the home, or one that is either vulnerable or highly emotional, should not be
made public.
• Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family values?
• Will this seem as funny in 5, 10, or 15 years? Or is this post better suited for sharing
with a small group of family members? Or maybe not at all?

Are you a good web citizen?

Guidelines for proper sharing of information and using the internet:
• Stick to safer sites
• Guard your passwords
• Limit what you share
• Remember that anything you put online or post on a site remains forever, even if
you try to delete it
• Do not be mean or embarrass other people online
• Be choosy about your online friends
• Be patient