A Digital Identity: Creating Uniqueness in a New Contextual Domain

 

Different definitions of personal identities exist, but all have common characteristics. According to Stanford Encyclopedia (2002), "personal identity' commonly refers to properties to which we feel a unique sense of attachment or ownership. My identity in this sense consists of those properties I take to "define me as a person" or "make me the person I am." Like most of our life, technology and digital media have impacted personal identity and created a new phenomenon- digital identity. The development of the internet enables people to present freely. Some people even may reconstruct their online identity completely differently from real life. According to Ruyter and Conroy (Ruyter & Conroy, 2002), online identity is "a configuration of the defining characteristics of a person in the online space." The rapid developments of technology and access to different tools have given individuals a wide range of chances to create new personalities. The phenomenon that people build an online identity that might be partly or even completely different from their real identity by hiding or faking specific characteristics is defined as online identity reconstruction (Hu et al., 2015).

Some technological developments accelerated the process of popularization of digital identity phenomena. (Vella 2013). One and the most important is the rise of social media. Social media platforms have made it easier for people to connect and share their thoughts and feelings. It has led to a more public and performative form of identity, as people are now more likely to present themselves in a way they think will appeal to others. Another important reason is the growth of online communities. Online communities allow people to connect with others who share their interests and hobbies. This can help people to feel more connected and to develop a sense of belonging. However, it can also make people feel they must conform to the community's expectations, limiting their ability to express their true selves. The third reason is the increasing importance of digital footprints. Our digital footprints collect all data we create online, such as social media posts, online buying behaviors, history, etc.

                                                                         Reference :

Vella.J (2013). A Digital Identity: Creating Uniqueness in a New Contextual Domain. 

https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/doi/pdf/10.2304/elea.2013.10.3.285

Huang, Kumar, Hu (2021). Literature Review of Online Identity Reconstruction. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.696552/full