The feeling of an inner self and an outer self generated the impulse to

reveal onesel to others in a believable manner. University professor

and author Lionel Trilling's (1957 analysis of literature about the
"self" and its relationship with others distinguisher sincerity and
authenticity. Sincerity refers to the exposure in public of what one
feels privately. On the other hand, an authentic person is one who
takes action based on sm internal standard and takes responsibility for
this freely chosen action.

The social world of a western-influenced society, like the Philippines,

typically consists of three domains:
• Family,
• School; and
• Neighbourhood.

People in these social domains exert different impacts on the

formation of sel depending on the stage of development of the child.
Research has shown that parent have a dominant influence on their
children's sense of self prior to adolescence. As child grows older, the
influence of peers increases (Rosenberg, 1986).

The emergence of the Internet, however, adds a fourth domain-the

online life te the social world. The online life has definitely altered the
dynamics of self-identity especially for adolescents.

I, Me, Myself, and my user ID online identity

The self that is constructed online is generally called the digital self.
Analyses of the experiences of online users (especially teenagers)
have shown that the characteristics of the digital self are (Zhao, 2005):
• Oriented inward;
• Narrative in nature;
• Retractable; and
• Multipliable
The digital self is oriented inward toward the world of thoughts and
feelings because others cannot see the online user's overt attributes. It
is narrative in nature because online users will only come to know the
person primarily through what that person tells them. It is retractable
because others are unable to link the online selfclaims to the offline
identities. Finally, it is multiplicable because people can interact with
one another in different domains of the online world at relatively the
same time.

People are able to present themselves online in the manner that they
want to. This process is called self-presentation. Research suggests
that self-presentation tends to be superficial. A study found that
students and nonstudents between 18 to 39 years old were more likely
to disclose their interests online rather than their beliefs and feelings
(Attrill & Jalil, 2011). This constrains the feedback that one receives,
and thus, influences the self.
The basic kinds of people you interact with online are:
1. People you do not know at all:
2. People you know both online and offline, and
3. People you know only online.

In the online social domain, it is entirely acceptable to contact and to

be contacted by complete strangers. For example, you need not be
introduced to talk to a stranger in a chat room, or to read and
comment on a blog, an EB post, or a tweet of someone you are not
personally acquainted with. However, many of the people you interact
with in the digital world are those you know both online and offline
although your familiarity with these people vary considerably.
Finally, there are persons you interact with only online. Through
frequent interactions, you get to know one another without meeting in
person. Regardless of how much you have known them online, their
offline identity largely remains unrevealed or unverified.

People you have become familiar with only online are strangers and
acquaintances at the same time. They are strangers because you have
never seen them in person, you do not know what they really look
like, and probably you will not even recognize them when you meet
face to face. Through online communication, however you have come
to knose a lot about them, including the personal secrets they reveal to
you, making you feel a certain level of intimate acquaintance with
them.

Selective Self-Presentation and Impression Management

Self-presentation behavior is any behavior intended to create, modify,

or maintain an impression of ourselves in the minds of others
Whenever we are attempting to lead people to think of us in a
particular way, we are engaging in self-presentation.

Why do people engage in self-presentation?

Self presentation:
•Helps facilitate social interaction;
•Enables individuals to attain material and social rewards; and
•Helps people privately construct desired identities.

Generally, social media platforms are used for:

• Social browsing
• Social searching:
• Communication, and
• Impression management.

Impression management is the attempt to control or influence any

other people's perceptions. This could be their perception of a certain
person (including you), a material possession, or an event. There are
two main motives of attempting to manage the impressions of others:
• Instrumental. This motive is to basically gain rewards and increase
one's self- esteem.
• Expressive. This motivation is about attempting to be in control of
one's personal behavior and identity. It is a response to moral norms,
expectations, or restrictions, seeking to show others that he or she, as
a person, is different.

Impression-management Strategies

• Self-Promotion
• Intimidation
• Ingratiation
• Supplication
• Exemplification

Self-promotion is a proactive process in which a person actively says

things or takes when to show his or her competence to an audience
(Rosenfeld et al, 1995, p.51). Self- motion often increases whenever
there is an opportunity to openly impress someone higher status
(Gracalone & Rosenfeld, 1986) Ingratiation is the process by which e
tries to win the approval or acceptance of another. For example, if a
woman wants pt her mother-in-law to like her, she may "kins up to
her by giving her compliments gifts. She may also try to make herself
appear more similar to her mother-in-law in Jebavice and opinion,
since people tend to like others with similar values and interests
templification involves a strategic self-sacrifice so that observers may
recognize the dedication. An exemplifier often wants other people to
know how hard he/she has working because of the teed to advertise
his/her behavior (Rosenfeld et al., 1995) letimidation is a strategy that
involves showing off authority, power, or the potential to punish in
order to be seen by observers as someone who could be or is
dangerous. This signed to increase the credibility of one's threats and
in turn enhance the probability that the target will comply with the
demands for agreement (Tedeschi & Riess, 1981, pl Supplication is
an approach where the individual exploits his/her weaknesses or
shortenings to receive help or benefits.

Impact of online interactions on the self

Growing up digital: How the Internet affects teen identity
When British 14-year-old Hannah Smith turned to popular social
networking site Ask.fm in July 2013, she wanted reassurance.

Stressed out from studying for exams and anxious about the return of
eczema that made her feel ugly, Smith opened up about her feelings
on the site, which allows users to pose questions others can respond to
anonymously.
The responses came in rapid succession. Anonymous posters urged
Smith to cut herself and drink bleach. One even said, "Do us all a
favour n kill ur self."

When Smith did just that a month later, her father blamed the
anonymity of Ask.fm's commenters for his daughter's death. The
family demanded action against the site, and Smith's death made
international headlines about the effects of cyberbullying

bateful messages to herself, hoping her friends would rally in her

defense. What detectives found was arguably much more tragic- that
Smith sent the

While cases like Smith's are rare, Smith was doing what most
teenagers do: seeking identity validation from friends and strangers,
often via social media. As a new generation comes of age online, the
Internet could be affecting how they form their identity.

Catherine Steiner-Adair, a psychologist and author of "The Big

Disconnect Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the
Digital Age," says the kind of outside affirmation Smith sought enline
is a vital part of how teens form identity

"The need for validation and confirmation that you're OK is so huge,

Steiner Adair said. "Parents often say. How could you go on a site
where people can anonymously respond to whatever your question is:
Am I cute? Am I fat? But we're forgetting what it means to be a
teenager when we say things like that."

Social media allow kids to broadcast everything while connecting

them to experiences they might not have encountered a generation
ago. But it also opens teens up to exponential ridicule or an amplified
feeling of invisibility that can influence the perceptions they have of
themselves.
According to market research data released this year from GFK, a
German market research institute, the amount of time teens spend
online has grown 37 percent since 2012, to about four hours a day, In
a 2010 survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute, 74 percent of
girls said they felt their peers used social media to "make themselves
look cooler than they are," and 41 percent said that also describes
them.

A 2010 study from York University found that people with lower self-
esteem spent more time online and posted more "self-promotional
content to sites like Facebook

Steiner Adair says that while technology changed how teens seek and
get feedback about identity, teen behavior is much the same.

"Kids are always looking at each other, comparing themselves to each

other. The same thing that's going on in the halls is going on online,"
Steiner-Adair said. "The difference for teenagers today is that there's
an endless supply of people to whom they can compare themselves."

In 1998, one of the first studies of Internet use found that Internet use
in general

significantly affected social relationships and participation in offline

community life (Kraut et al., 1998). The study indicated that the more
time spent online caused a decline in communicating with family
members. A 2013 data also indicated that the use of social networking
sites (SNS) may possibly undermine subjective perception of well-
being and life satisfaction.

One of the reasons time spent on SNS may be associated with

depressive symptoms is the fact that computer-mediated
communication may lead to the altered (and often wrong) impression
of the physical and personality traits of the other users. This may to
incorrect conclusions regarding physical appearance, educational
level, intelligence. moral integrity, as well as many other
characteristics of online friends (Chou, 2012).
However, it should be stressed that so far there is still no conclusive
evidence that the use of SNS causes e depression or even a single
symptom of depression. In fact, there is an indication that online
communication with friends and family (today mostly done on SNS)
is actually associated with a decline in depression (Bessière et al.,
2010).

In a more specific study, recent research presented conflicting results

regarding the potential influence of Facebook and any other SNS on
self-esteem. One possible indication of the negative relationship
between self-esteem and the use of Facebook is that all social
networking platforms (where self-presentation is the principal user
activity) cause or at least promote narcissistic behavior (Mehdizadeh,
2010). However, another study suggested that Facebook use may
actually enhance self-esteem. This study supported the interpersonal
communication theory called the hyperpersonal model. This theory
suggested that the advantage of computer-mediated communication is
that a person can edit his or her self-presentation, which in turn
positively impacts impressions on the self; thus, greater intimacy is
possible (Gonzales & Hancock, 2011).
Social networking was also found to be addictive. The addictive
nature of SNS is supported primarily by the mental preoccupation of
chronic SNS users who, as a result, tend to neglect some other aspects
of their social functioning such as family and offline friends. In
addition, some chronic users who have suddenly stopped online social
networking (ie., lack of Internet connection) have been observed to
display signs and symptoms that at least partially resemble the ones
seen during drug/alcohol/nicotine abstinence syndrome (La Barbera et
al., 2009). Examples of these symptoms are:
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Poor concentration
• Depression
• Social isolation
• Irritability
What makes us so addicted?

Communication occurs during interaction, and our need to be connected and interact with
others is universal and unavoidable. Communication is necessary In our unending search for
sense and meaning to our world. “One cannot not communicate” (Watzlawick & the Palo
Alto School, 1967).
The social world is socially constructed through interactions between people: roles, rules,
categorizations, stereotypes, and so on. Social networks have the power to amplify this
human nature. They have broken the barriers of distance and time of presence and visibility.
They expand the possibilities of sharing and playing identities. They fulfill the most deeply
felt human need of finding a psychological distinctiveness and self-definition in a social
contest.
Social validation is an important part of being human. Hence, a Facebook “Like” ot Twitter
“Faverite” is a social signal that makes us feel good and makes us want to cre for more.

Bundaries of the self online: Private vs. Public; personal/individual vs. Social identity online

How are identities constructed in the age of the Internet? Is the distinction between private
identity” and “public identity relevant, especially for this generation? An important
characteristic of the Internet age is the phenomenon of “public identity.”

It can be said that for millennials and for the future generation, the notion of privacy as an
individual would probably be lost. After all, these are young people who have been subjected
to security measures in various forms and in numerous settings (schools, airports, malli). In
many settings, the words, “This Area is Under Constant Surveillance, are posted. Even
parents and the youth use “webcams” to capture everyday behaviors Millennials have been
socialized to do things in groups.

Private vs. Public self

Social scientists have given very different definitions of the concept of “private” and “public”
Understanding the difference between these concepts will help in your study of the “self”
(Baumeister, 2012)
• Private. The prevalent definition among social psychologists is “private” refers to mental
events in a person that are inherently anobservable by others.
• Public. What social psychologists consider as “public” are behaviors that are open to the
observations of other people.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIOUS USES OF THE TERMS “PRIVATE” AND “PUBLIC”

PRIVATE
• Phenomenological experience
• Acting only for self
• Actor controls access to information regarding self
• Acting in the interest of a limited number of people
PUBLIC
• Observable behavior
• Acting as agent for others
• Information about sell not controlled by actor
• Acting in the interest of the community

Social profiles are a description of individuals’ social characteristics that identify them on
social media sites, such as Linkedin and Facebook. When it comes to onlin personal or
business branding, the creation of social media profiles is absolutely essential, Before the
advent of the latest companies had to worry about their brands Now Individuals do as well,
especially individuals who are open to or actively seeking new job opportunities.

Possible advantages of making your online profile public:

• It facilitates open communication that could lead to better and faster information discovery and
delivery.

• It allows open discussion on ideas and the posting of news, asking of questions, and sharing of
links.

• It provides an opportunity to widen business contacts.

• It targets a wide audience, making it a useful and effective tool to increase your network of friends,

• If you are an entrepreneur, it improves business reputation and client base with minimal use of
advertising,

• It helps expand market research, implement marketing campaigns, deliver communications, and
direct interested people to specific websites.

Possible risks:

• It opens up the possibility for hackers to commit fraud and launch spam and virus attacks.

• It increases the risk of people falling prey to online scams that seem genuine, resulting in data or
identity theft.

• It potentially results in negative comments and bashing.

Some advantages of making your online profile private:

• You have control over viewers. You only connect with those you want to communicate with.

• Your online profile is protected from scammers and bashers.

Disadvantages of a private profile:

• Your network is very limited, thus, you close your doors to opportunities that social networking
bring

• Your engagement is very low You do not get to meet interesting people with whom you can
exchange ideas or learn from

• If you are an entrepreneur, a private profile will not help grow your business.
Individual vs. Social identity

How do you know you are the same person you were as a child? Le it because you remember
yourself growing within the same body you have now? Or is it because you Perceive that you have
the same mind? What criteria can be used to confirm you are, In fact, a “person?” Personal
(individual) identity is the concept, you develop about yourself that evolves over the course of your
life. This may include aspects of your life that you have no control over, such as where you grew up or
the color of your skin, as well at choices you make in life, such as how you spend your time and what
you believe in.

Characteristics of personal identity:

• The emphasis is on the individual

• It is created through differences in personal characteristics when comparing the self with others.

Social psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner (1979) theorized that social identity is a person’s
sense of who he/she is based on group membership(s). They asserted that the groups (eg, social
class, family, basketball team, and so on), to which people belonged to were an important source of
pride and self-esteem.

Characteristics of social identity:

• The emphasis is on what the person has in common with the members of his or her group

• It is created based on similarities with others.

Gender and sexuality online

Does the Internet influence stereotyping? The Internet plays an essential role in shaping our
conception of the world, our opinions, and our values. Children and young people who are in the
process of forming their opinions and attitudes about norms and acceptable behavior, and also about
sexuality are most susceptible to the Internet’s influence. The attitudes, conduct, and roles toward
women, men, and the LGBTQ+ community are being strongly influenced by Internet content. By
creating a certain type of message, internet users can manipulate people’s attitudes and opinions.
Gender stereotypes existing in the offline environment (which are the root of inequality between
men, women, and the LGBTQ+, and the origin of gender violence) are also present in the online
world.

A stereotype is a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people” (Cardwell,
2014). The use of stereotypes is a manner in which people simplify the social world. Stereotyping is
assuming that the characteristics and abilities of one person is also present in all members of the
group, Stereotyping leads to social categorization. Which is one of the reasons for prejudice attitudes
(ie., “them” and “us” mentality).

What factors affect adolescent sexuality? Sexuality as a developmental issue is present throughout
the life cycle, but it becomes especially salient during adolescence. Adolescents have to adjust to
their developing sexuality, in particular their increased sexual drive, interest in sex, and the task of
constructing their sexual selves.

The development of sexuality is an important bio-psycho-social development During adolescence,

major biological, as well as psychological developments take place The myriad of changes that occur
in adolescents put them under enormous stress, which may have adverse physical and psychological
consequences.

Factors that affect an adolescent’s sexuality:

1. Hormones;

2 Personality or temperament;

3. Social or environmental factors; and

4. Media and the Internet.

An adolescent’s sexual interest has a lot to do with his or her hormones. The brain controls puberty
by producing hormones that travel in the bloodstream to various organs. The sex organs (gonads) are
stimulated to make sex hormones. A girl’s ovaries are stimulated to make the female hormone
estrogen. A boy’s testicles are stimulated to make the male hormone testosterone.

Meanwhile, personality or temperament is an important psychological factor that also decides the
attitude toward sexuality. For example, there are introvert adolescents who face difficulty in
approaching and responding sexually (Kar et al., 2015).

Social or environmental factors that facilitate sexual learning and decide the sexual attitude of the
adolescent include:

• Attitude of parents toward sexuality;

• Parenting style,

• Peer relationship; and

• Cultural influences.

In the recent decades, media coverage and the Internet have grown worldwide exponentially.
Adolescents’ access to them can easily literature related to sexuality. Sexual crimes, and violence that
affect their perception and attitudes toward sexuality.