MODULE 7

THE DIGITAL SELF:

Generations are not designed only by a fixed range of years.
- formed as a result of the evolution of certain patterns of shifts in demographics, societal
factors, and parenting styles
ROUGH GUIDE TO GENERATION NAMES
generation z- 2000
millennials- 1982 Neil Howe & William Strauss- generally
generation x- 1964 credited with identifying and naming the
20th century generations in the U.S with
baby boomers- 1946
their 1991 study “Generations”.
silent generation- 1927
greatest generation- 1901

SOCIAL MEDIA - defined as the websites and applications that make it easier to create and share
information, ideas, and interests.

- allows people to create other forms of self-expression via virtual communities and
networks.
- features that allow people to communicate to specific groups sharing common interests
(through chat, video call or posting of status and photos) and become members of virtual
communities, be it locally or globally.

iGen grew up with the first iPhone which was launched in 2007.

DIGITAL SELF- A mask people put on when engaging in the technological world.
DIGITAL IDENTITY - People generally have “ROLE IDENTITIES”. These are the characters and roles
an individual creates as a member of a particular social group. In an online environment, one role
identity is vitally important in order for him or her to project himself or herself in the said
environment.

the “self” is composed of identities ranked by importance

- The greater the commitment of an individual to a particular identity, the greater the
importance of this identity. Hence,

The posts one makes on social media platforms, the online names one creates, the internet
friends one acquires, and things one “likes, comments on, and shares” become part of the digital
identity an individual creates.
According to Turkle (1995), people can redefine themselves on the internet. Assumptions made
on the virtual world are different from those real life.

There is a “TRUE SELF” that is the instinctive core of our personality and must be nurtured and
realized.

There is also a “FALSE SELF” or “CURATED SELF” that is created to protect the “true self” from
insult and danger.

Social media also enables people to create fake identities. An individual can create different social
media accounts to hide his or her real self. This is called ONLINE DISEMBODIMENT. With this,
people are less likely to display their “real selves” to others, especially strangers. In an attempt
to share that self with the world, we engage our decoy selves to manage the day-to day anxieties
and challenge that come before us. Russel Belk (1988) believed that our major possessions are a
major contributor to and reflection of our identities.

WHY WOULD WE WANT TO EVEN DO THIS?

o We want to meet the expectation of others

o We want to boost our self-esteem
o To feel a sense of belonging
o Bigger sense of freedom
o Striving to be our ideal selves

ONLINE DISINHIBITION EFFECT- People adopt fake identities, they are likely to engage in
behaviors that they would not do in real life interactions. This effect is known as ONLINE
DISINHIBITION (Suler, 2004).

BENIGN DISINHIBITION- occurs when people tend to self-disclose more on the internet than
they would in real life or go out of their way to help someone or show kindness.

TOXIC DISINHIBITION- when they use rude language, bully or threaten others on online
platforms, and go to websites with contents of violence, crime and pornography.

People engage in online disinhibition due to a number of factors. Somehow, these factors
contribute to bridging social gaps and expressing oneself in a way that one will not do in face-to-
face interactions

 Anonymity
 Virtual invisibility
 Asynchronous communication
 Personal introjection
HAS TECHNOLOGY DESTROYED A GENERATION?

 85% of youth own a cellphone (teens access the Internet from mobile devices /
smartphones)
 92% of youth use the Internet;
 90% have a SN account (at least 1 SN) spend an average 10 hours a week on the Internet
 Minimum spent 3.2 hours on mobile
 Minimum spent 5.2 hours on desktop and tablet

KEY CHANGE: access to the Internet is PERVASIVE -all the time -and access / use has become
private may be socially adept online, but may hinder real social skills and other significant life
skills and competencies.

The Impact of Social Media

Self and Social Development Access to Information Risks

Social connections, Resources, info & support for Privacy Issues

belongingness school work

Identity, creativity Health- seeking Cyberbullying

Community (political) But- misinformation & risks (self Depression/ Body Image issues
engagement harm) Sexualization

What is the happy medium? The goal?

- 2 hours/ weekday; 4 hours/ weekend before negative associations with well- being are evident.

FoMO- Fear of Missing Out

- The uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you’re missing out – that your peers are
doing, in the know about, or in possession of more or something better than you. Under this
framing of FoMO, nearly three quarters of young adults reported they experienced the
phenomenon.