UNPACKING THE SELF:

The Digital Self

 INTRODUCTION

The present digital era has ushered a slew of technological

creations that have had a substantial and continually evolving
effect on our conceptions of self, identity and social
relations.
INTRODUCTION
In digital life the swarm is the sum of digital selves,
fashioned by the yearning to re-present a version of
their true self via image and textual performances,
often an enhanced copy that serves in managing other’s
impressions in a self-aggrandizing cycle to reap the
neurological rewards fulfilled by attention gratification.
The swift and ravenous actions of the swarm, and all it
consumes constitute the spectacle of collective social
media behavior.
Digital Self
The very idea of a digital self, the
collection of views we interpret that
others have of us combined with how
we manage and attempt to influence,
alter or reinforce them may constitute
an attempt to transfer identity and self
to the digital realm.
 World wide web
Youtube

Email

Online Dating
Chat rooms

Social Media
Mobile phones

Online Shopping
Extended Self (Digital)
In 1988 Russell Belk observed that our material
possessions constitute an extension of our inner
selves. We project emotions onto material
objects that affect our state of being, often in
an effort to enhance our self-construction,
“…knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or
unintentionally, we regard our possessions as
parts of ourselves.”
Extended Self (Digital)
As with everything gobbled and regurgitated by digital life,
those material possessions take on a different form – one that
according to Belk involves de-materialization:

“…dematerialization of many of our possessions. Today our

information, communications, photos, videos, music,
calculations, messages, ‘written’ words, and data are now
largely invisible and immaterial until we choose to call them
forth. They are composed of electronic streams of ones and
zeroes that may be stored locally or in some hard to imagine
cloud.”
 Understanding yourself
through
The Looking Glass

Charles Horton Cooley, 1902

The Digital Self
constructed solely through online
interaction without the intervention of
nonverbal feedback and the influence
of traditional environmental factors
FOUR CHARACTERISTICS:
Inwardly oriented
Narrative in nature
Retractable
Multiplied
 Critical Reflection

“created to protect
“instinctive core the "true self"
of our personality” from insult and
danger”
Winnicott, D. W. (1960)
Critical Reflection

“knowingly or unknowingly,
intentionally or unintentionally,
we regard our possessions
as parts of ourselves”
GUILTY OR
NOT GUILTY?
GUILTY OR
FOODSTAGRAMMING
NOT GUILTY?
Posting aesthetic snapshots of gourmet
dishes is also a part of our visual self-
presentation: polished photos show us in a
positive light to others. Approval and
validation seeking are other strong motives:
22% of food photos show self-cooked meals,
of which their creators are particularly
proud.
GUILTY OR
MEMEING
NOT GUILTY?
Memeing is an internet slang verb that means
to create or spread a meme. In 2013, the verb
evolved to also mean communicating through
memes.

The act of saying something completely inane

and dumb but in a way that makes it sound as
if you're quite serious about it whether you
are or are not.
GUILTY OR
HUMBLE BRAGGING
NOT GUILTY?
-Make an ostensibly modest or self-
deprecating statement with the actual
intention of drawing attention to something
of which one is proud.
Example:
“She humblebragged about how “awful” she
looks without any makeup"
GUILTY OR
SMART SHAMING
NOT GUILTY?
Smart shaming or anti-intellectualism is the
act of mocking someone who is smarter than
others.

Smart shaming is, unfortunately, the result of

the pro-ignorance stance that a lot of
populations take, and something that a lot of
smart people regularly have to deal with.
GUILTY OR
OVERSHARING
NOT GUILTY?
-Oversharing is when people share too much personal information to the public or a
stranger. It can happen both on and offline. However, it is a big problem on social media
sites, which make "putting yourself online" easy.
Examples of Oversharing
Though the result is the same, •Posting embarrassing photos or
people overshare on social media videos of yourself or others.
in various ways. Here are a few •Regularly posting your meals.
examples: •"Checking In" to everywhere you
•Posting intimate details about your go.
relationships, friendships, family •Posting about whatever you are
matters, or personal drama. doing at a given moment, multiple
•Using social media as a soapbox times a day.
or a way to vent your emotions. •Sharing too much info about and
•Posting photos or videos of things photos of your children.
meant to be private.
GUILTY OR
DIRTY JOKES
NOT GUILTY?
- A joke with a morally objectionable or
obscene punchline.
- A joke that can be seen two ways, innocent
or dirty
Class Discussion
Things “NOT” to post on Social Media
Things to post on Social Media

PRIVACY VS. PUBLIC

Individual vs. social identity online
Gender vs. Sexuality on line
Presentation of Self: Online
• Erving Goffman (1959)
Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

• Roles based on social expectations

• Presentation of self online requires strict

boundaries between personal/private and
public/professional identities
Misuse of Information:
• Inappropriate sharing
• Embarrassment
• Professional damage
• Disciplinary procedures
• Suspension
• Job loss
Digital Identities
• What goes online stays online
• Permanent digital footprints
Setting Boundaries to Your Online
Self
 Is this post/story necessary?
 Is there a real benefit to this post – is it funny,
warm-hearted, teachable – or am I just making noise
online without purpose?
 Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries
of our family values?
 Will this seem 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?
The Different Side of Me
Content Analysis of one’s social media
1. Look at your FB’s wall, Tweets, Instagram posts, etc.
2. Analyze the content of these social media accounts (for the past 3
months)
3. Why do you post such contents?
4. Do these posts represent who you are as a person? Why or why not?
5. Describe yourself based on the posts that you have.
The Different Side of Me
Contents June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 Total Tally
1. Memes
2. News (specify)
3. Politics
4. Personal Posts
5. Selfies
6. Tiktok
7. Family Posts
8. Shared Posts
9. Fan Posts
1. Why do you post such contents?
2. Do these posts represent who you are as a person? Why or
why not?
3. Describe yourself based on the posts that you have.
REFERENCES
Olavarria, CM. (n.d.). The Digital Self (Chapter 2 from "Swarm and Spectacle"), Retrieved from
https://www.academia.edu/11293218/The_Digital_Self_Chapter_2_from_Swarm_and_Spectacle_?auto=download

Atanasova, A. (2016, November 9). The Psychology of Foodstagramming. Social Media Today. Retrieved from
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-networks/psychology-foodstagramming

Memeing. (n.d.). Know Your Meme. Retrieved from

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memeing

Memeing. (2016, November 18). Urban dictionary. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Memeing

Dela Cruz, I. (n.d.). Smart Shaming: The Filipino Culture of Anti-Intellectualism. Change.org. Retrieved from
https://www.change.org/p/web-surfers-smart-shaming-the-filipino-culture-of-anti-intellectualism

Oversharing and Social Media. (2020, January 7). Retrieved from https://apps.il-work-
net.com/ArticleViewer/Article/Index/257/%7Blink%7D#:~:text=Oversharing%20is%20when%20people%20share,%22putting%20yours
elf%20online%22%20easy.

Dirty Joke. (n.d) Your Dictionary. https://www.yourdictionary.com/dirty-joke

Dirty Joke. (2019, December 20). Urban dictionary. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dirty%20Joke