CI 4312: Identity
In our society today, the internet and other technologies have played a major part in who we are, who we interact with, and what others think of us every day. It has helped shape us into the person that everyone around us knows, both in positive and negative ways. It is important to ask ourselves, what kind of person would we be today if internet was not a factor within our lives at all? Reading the article “Who am I Online? Understanding the Meaning of Online Contexts for Identity Development” by Wängqvist & Frisén provided me with some very interesting insights and stats about the development of our identity, and how large of an impact the internet may have had on it.
The internet helps develop people’s identities in many different ways. The largest way it has an effect on the younger population is giving them a look into different perspectives and opinions that they would otherwise not be exposed to in everyday life. On the internet, we have access to articles, stories, factoids, etc. that we most likely never would have heard of if it were not for social media and the platform of the internet. It enlarges our lense of the world, exposing us to different things such as sexuality, interests, hobbies, religions, careers, etc. that we may be unaware of, but after exposure may become a large part of our life. Even though this is mainly talked about for adolescents, I believe it is the same for adults as well. I am 22 years old and I still get exposed to new things on the internet every day, many of which may change the way I think about certain things, or I may choose to get heavily involved in as well, creating a new part of identity for myself. We never stop changing as humans, and the internet is definitely a large factor of that. The digital world is a place full of endless opportunities for people to learn and grow themselves. Wängqvist & Frisén write, “online contexts offer unprecedented opportunities for adolescents’ autonomy development and their creation of a private space”, and I believe that holds true for much of the digital population around the world.
It was very interesting to read another article “Digital identity formation: socially being real and present on digital networks” by Bozkurt & Tu as well. They also talked about identity formation on the internet, and the learning environment it can create and help with. Within this reading, a quote that stuck out to me was “Social presence further leads to transparent, comfortable, and safe learning environments as a result of learners’ sense of being there.”. I find this quote to be very true. When everyone makes themselves present in an online community, and presents themselves as their true, authentic self, it can create a great learning environment that people can easily gain many things from. I believe with the formation of SNS and digital identities, it creates opportunities for learners that we never would have previously seen, such as connecting with people in a humane way but not having to be face to face, and exposing each other to endless amounts of facts and opinions that otherwise no one would full be aware of. This is the way in which I believe SNS impact learning the most, and the article did well at explaining that.
The TED Talk video with Alec Couros also raised an important question when it comes to digital identity, and will most likely become a growing conversation as the internet and technology grow as well. At the end of his presentation, he raised the question “How do we help … kids discover and experience the many emerging possibilities [of the Internet] for networked, human connection while allowing them to safely grow and share their identities and the identities of others?” As I previously talked about, there are many different positive effects of creating your identity online. We are able to explore different aspects of life and present them to people on open platforms, letting them know who we are and who we want to be seen as. However, as there are many positives to this, there are also some negatives, as presented by Couros. Many children are bullied in the digital world while they are in the process of forming their own identity. Unfortunately, many children and teens have met a traumatic end in this process. While it is crucial that kids learn how to explore the possibilities of the internet and how it can grow them as human beings, it is also important that they understand that it may not always effect them in positive ways either. Teaching children ways to safely navigate the internet is crucial in today’s society. Reporting things that are negative towards others, and focusing on positive parts of the internet that will grow who you are as a person, not tear you down. Teaching children both at home and at school how to safely navigate and grow themselves on the internet is crucial in the times we are living in, and it starts with the adults that they are looking to learn from.
