UNIT 5: THE DIGITAL SELF

This unit shall discuss the sense of online self

and the presentation as well as impression
management of the online self. A critical analysis
of the sense of self in the digital world is explored
in this module. It shall challenge you to examine
the boundaries of your online self: public versus
private; personal/individual versus social digital
identity; and your gender and sexuality online.

“Privacy is not an option, and it shouldn’t

be the price we accept for just getting on the
internet.”- Gary Kovacs

EXPLAIN

So far, you have come to know and understand more about your physical, sexual,
material, and political selves. What about your Digital Self? How important is this? Read on
to understand.

ONLINE IDENTITY AND THE SELF IN CYBERSPACE

In this day and age, different information that was once inaccessible are now within
reach or can be accessed with a single ‘click’. Apart from accessible information, people
continued to develop systems intended to bring people closer together through the
different social media platforms where people could interact with each other as made
possible by the internet and the World Wide Web. With the rise of these platforms, people
could now easily express themselves through online interactions, may it be as simple as
sharing your basic information, to expressing your likes or dislikes, hobbies, interests,
relationship status, and the like. All of these, when taken together, is the aspect of the self
known as the ‘digital self’.

Online Identity constitutes the sum of your characteristics and interactions online. The
different websites you access obtain a subset of information you share, thus, having different
pictures of who you are. In the same manner, you may express yourself differently in the
different websites or social media platforms you access. The different representations of
your identity seen and expressed online are also known as your partial identities. These
identities are not full and true pictures of who you really are and do not include how you
react in particular situations.

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 IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND SELECTIVE SELF-PRESENTATION

Have you ever changed the way you are behaving in a particular situation because
you know you are being watched? The same can be said in terms of how you present
yourself online. Our behaviors change if we notice that we are being watched and
observed, and the way we present ourselves changes depending on who we are
interacting with.

In a digital world where one’s self-concept may be greatly influenced by the “likes”,
“reacts” and “comments” that one gets, people try to express themselves in a manner by
which one can elicit positive reactions from others, or one may be perceived as likable. This
is what we term as impression management.

Impression management may involve limiting the personal information we provide

to present ourselves in a way that is acceptable to others. Some may even carefully choose
which parts of their real world will be shown or represented in the online world to create an
identity defined by the few chosen and curated events in one’s life. For example, one may
post only travel photos or videos and may already give the impression that he or she is
already living a good life, but who knows what happens behind shooting those videos and
editing some photos? How is this person like in some other aspects of his/her life?

IMPACT OF ONLINE INTERACTIONS TO THE SELF

According to Kraut, within the first two years people first accessed the internet, their
level of happiness decreased. The use of digital technology and online interactions seem
to replace or limit physical or face-to-face interactions, thus drawing people away from
more genuine encounters and meaningful connections with others. As people create their
different online personas, this may result in feelings of jealousy and envy towards the
seemingly perfect lives of other people.

Our online interactions or internet use in general has both positive and negative
impacts. Its value in ease of communication has been emphasized in the earlier parts of this
unit. Apart from making communication more accessible, online interactions may likewise
empower individuals to change themselves and their communities. Through responsible use
of and participation in social media, essential information may be obtained or used to our
advantage like keeping up to date with current events and political issues. It may facilitate
the expression of opinions and lobbying of concerns or needs, such as in the case of online
petitions aiming to promote different advocacies or to lobby grievances to concerned
authorities. However, online interactions also have a fair share of negative consequences on
the self. As everyone could create and distribute content all over the internet, anyone could
be a target of identity theft, like you. Anyone could be a victim of false information, and the
most rampant today, fake news. That is why fact checking is emphasized today more than
ever. The risk of developing poor social skills, internet addictive behaviors and low self-esteem
come with prolonged and irresponsible internet use. Last but not the least, it is common
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 knowledge that here in the Philippines, we have the R.A. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act
of 2012) primarily aimed to protect internet users from several legal offenses committed
online or through a computer system like cyberbullying, cybersex, child pornography, identity
theft, illegal access to data and libel.

EXTENDED SELF IN A DIGITAL WORLD (BELK)

1. Dematerialization: Now that we are in the digital age, things that were formerly
tangible have become invisible and immaterial. To research, we browse the internet
more, and fewer and fewer people visit libraries to get a hold of books. Photos, videos
and music now have what we call as “soft copies”.
2. Re-embodiment: As people interact behind their own screens, people have more
freedom to create new constructions and definitions of the self. On the internet,
people have the liberty to “re-embody” themselves through the creation of avatars,
characters or “hero” in online games, photoshopped photos, dating site profiles,
among others.
3. Sharing: Through the internet, people can now easily and freely access and share
information, movies, photos, music, and the like. A simple tap on your digital device
allows you to share to the World Wide Web a photo of yourself, the food you eat, the
places you go to, etc. You can create your own blog and share your innermost
thoughts, or create your own YouTube channel to share whichever content you
choose, may it be your cooking skills, makeup skills, lifestyle, travels, online gaming, and
a whole lot more.
4. Co-construction of the Self: Our online interactions allow us to give and receive
comments on the posts or contents shared by other people thereby facilitating the
construction of our individual self and our extended self (the self shared online). This is
also known as the “collaborative self”. We continually develop or work on ourselves
through the help of our online interactions.

SETTING BOUNDARIES TO YOUR ONLINE SELF

Now that much has been said about the digital self and online interactions, it is of equal
importance to know how to protect yourself from digital offenses and harm. Here are
some tips you can observe:

• Stick to safer sites. If a website is not secure or appears to be suspicious, leave

immediately.
• Guard your passwords. Avoid using your basic information as your passwords.
Strong passwords often include both UPPERCASE and lowercase letters, numbers,
symbols, and special characters.
• Be choosy about your online friends. Avoid adding or accepting as
friends/contacts those individuals whom you do not know personally. Remember
that these people will see the things you share. If you do not trust them with your
shared content, decline.

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 • Remember that anything you put online or post on a site is there FOREVER even if
you try to delete it. If you do not want it to be available on the internet forever,
do not post or upload it. You might want to ask yourself first, “Is this really worth
sharing or is this something I might regret in the future?”
• Do not be mean or embarrass other people online. Remember that you may be
criminally liable when you do online acts that directly or indirectly harm other
people. When you see something wrong, there are better ways to approach your
concern than being mean or embarrassing others. Be a responsible internet
consumer.
• Limit what you share. Again, everything you share on the internet stays there
forever. Avoid oversharing, especially those which you think are things that can
be used against you, or worse, used to blackmail you. Is it helpful? Does it really
concern others? Think before you click.

Above everything, always remember to use the internet responsibly, and know that digital
devices and the internet were only created by humans, not the other way around

ELABORATE
Review your previous online posts across the different social media platforms you use.
After which, answer this question: “What do my posts online say about myself?”

References:
Belk (2013). Extended Self in a Digital World. Journal of Consumer Research. 40. 3. 477 — 500.
Chafee, J. (2013) Who are you? Consciousness, Identity and the Self. In the Philosopher's Way: Thinking
Critically about Profound Ideas. Pearson. 106 — 169.
Ellison et. Al. (2006). Managing Impressions online: Self presentation processes in the online dating
environment. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication. 11. 415 — 441.
Doi:
10.1114.1083-6101.2006.00020x
Gonzales & Hancock (2010). Mirror, Mirror on my FB Wall: Effects of Exposure to FB on selfesteem.
Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking. Doi:
10.1089/cyber.2009.0411 (For the topic, Unpacking The Self - The Digital Self) Harter, S.
(1996). Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues Involving the Self Concept. In Bracken
(ed)
Villafuerte, S., Quillope, A., Tunac R., and Borja, E. (2018). Understanding the Self. Nieme Publishing
House Co. Ltd., Rm. 413 Villasi Mansion, N. Domingo St., Brgy. Kunlaran, Cubao, Quezon City,
Philippines.
Walther (2007). Selective self-presentation in computer mediated communication: Hyperpersonal
dimensions of technology, language and cognition. Computers in Human Behavior. 23. 2538 —
2557.

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transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise of any part of this document,
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