Haro, Guillermo

English 114b
Jennifer Rodrick
2/29/16
What is Identity?
According to the online google dictionary, identity is being a consistent unique
individual and knowing who you are. Individual identity is defined as being aware and
understanding an individual's experience, feelings, sensations, images, and memories.
Understanding ourselves, the choices we make, and the actions we take is another way to view
our identity. As digital technology grows, our identities seem to be fading away. Technology was
once a place to find information, but now that has changed. Our phones and computers has
shifted our society from reality in a virtual world. As technology prospers, our identities continue
to diminish. Technology may have beneficial improvements to society, but those improvements
don't compare to the brain dead people in our society. Although technology can be beneficial,
technology has negative effects towards identity because it prevents people from expressing their
real identity , communication is based on technology, and it globalizes our views of ourselves.
Throughout the years, technology has done nothing but destroy our confidence. People
have begun to feel as though they are limited to how they express themselves virtually and
realistically.. According to the article, Achieving Self-congruency? Examining Why Individuals
Reconstruct Their Virtual Identity in Communities of Interest Established Within Social Network
Platforms, the authors explain how people reconstruct their identity via online due to vanity.
According to Websters Online Dictionary, vanity is defined as the quality of being worthless or
futile. With this being said, many people have no or little confidence in what they say. They are

driven to believe that they are not good enough or that they are wrong. According to the article ,
Achieving Self-congruency? Examining Why Individuals Reconstruct Their Virtual Identity in
Communities of Interest Established Within Social Network Platforms, the author states, in
social network communities, members can express whatever they have in mind because nobody
knows their real identity. This is supported by existing studies which suggest that, in computermediated communications; individuals are less worried about retribution and face less social
pressure, (Achieving Self Congruency 3) This explains the fact that many people are drifting
from their real selves to their virtual selves. You may ask yourself, why is this bad? Well virtual
online profiles consist of anonymous users. These users can be predators, thieves, and other
unsavory types who adopt different personalities to lure children and other susceptible folks into
their webs. Although not all anonymous user are that, those who aren't tend to be locked up
inside the computer knowing that anything outside the computer world is threatening and sad.
Many of these profiles are created to show their real identity and who they really are. For
example, while talking to someone in real life, many people never express their full emotions or
what they really feel because of social pressure. In order to express how they feel the drift to an
online identity where they are free and confidential. People can behave freely with no fear of
social evaluation when they are anonymous.
Communication was one once something we did one on one. We would communicate
with people using real words and real emotion. That has changed.Communication is now based
on technology. Sure, technology has been a source of communication since the creation of the
cell phone and telephone, but the way we communicate and express our words and emotions
have changed. In todays world we will base our emotions using emojis. Emojis are a small
digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in technological communication.

These emojis have been embedded in every cellular device you can find and due to this many
people drift from expressing their real emotions to expressing their virtual emotions. We have
materialized certain actions named for being able to express certain racial, emotional qualities in
our technology and communication. According to the video, How Social Media Shapes
Identity, the speaker states, it is setting up an expectation and it is rationalizing our
communication. Setting up an expectation that you think about what emoji you will be using and
how much you're going to express your real emotion in what you post on social media, ( How
Social Media Shapes Identity 4) This defines how not only are we are virtually expressing our
emotions but we are also expressing them in a sense where we have to make sure and reassure
that our society accepts it. We lose confidence and our self esteem decreases, which of course
tend to shift our identity into a negative aspect. We tend to believe that our emotions are wrong
and that everything we do is wrong. This sets a standard which people tend to follow. Emojis are
beginning to rise as a main source of writing whether its in text or journalism and this is
beginning to lower our literacy and English. We begin to connect with pictures rather than words
which of course leads to lack of English.
Not only has technology restrained us from expressing our real identity, but it has also
changed our views and globalized how we view ourselves. With the creation of the internet,
many have been drifting into a life accommodating the virtual world. Social media such as
Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat etc.. have changed who we are. We view ourselves as virtual
names and not our true selves. We are even beginning to view ourselves as Avatars and not
humans. In the game, Second Life, many people are using avatars to drift away from who they
really are. In the article , Virtual Customers Behind Avatars: The Relationship Between Virtual
Identity and Virtual Consumption in Second Life, the authors state, Virtual identities can be

changed as rapidly and frequently as desired, allowing participants to experiment with various
options and roles, even ones that may not be considered conventional. For example, virtual
identities are often constructed to be more intelligent or more attractive, and may possess further
desirable attributes, when compared with characteristics of real-life selves,.( Virtual Customers
Behind Avatars 5) This states that people can change how they want to be perceived and how
they want to be seen. This not only gives the creator a sense of a new beginning, but also gives
them the sense of a new identity. Having a sense of creation in how you look and who you are as
a person changes the way you look physically and emotionally. With many other games
developing Virtual Worlds such as , The Sims, people are bound to change to a lifestyle and
physical look that accommodates who they think they really are. We live in a world where who
we are is not important to but what people think of who we are is. How we view ourselves has
changed because we dont want what we see, we want what others want to see.
Although technology has negative effects towards identity, many may argue that it is
beneficial. Many kids are growing up in a technological advanced world. They have phones,
computers, social media, and virtual reality games. Although this may seem like a negative
factor, it is not. Kids are growing up learning about who they are with the use of technology
while we know who we are but technology is changing that for us. According to the
article,Growing Up With Social Networks and Online Communities, the author states,
Students can benefit from reciprocal sharing with bloggers from other ethnic groups or nations.
By reading peer postings, children get confirmation that they are not alone in how they feel or
interpret current events. These benefits increase if teachers make assignments that can connect
student motivation with existing resources,. (Growing Up With Social Networks and Online
Communities 3 ) This article indicates that many kids growing up with technology have a better

sense of understanding themselves. Everyone has access to social media, but children abuse it.
Children can find articles, blogs and information regarding current events. This may lead to
teachers using technology and social media as a way to teach children about important matters.
The source of educating the internet provides is
outstanding, but let's not forget about what
really is online and that is sexual predators,
pedophiles, hackers, trolls, and thieves. With
the kids being so gullible at a young age, kids
will do anything their screen tells them. With
this in mind children can go through scary
things and have a negative impact in their lives,
Not only has technology has been
dominating our lives for the past few years, it
has been dominating our identities. Technology
has negative effects towards identity because it prevents people from expressing their real
identity , communication is based on technology, and it globalizes our views of ourselves. Things
such as virtual games such as second life has had an impact to our identity in a negative form.
We have begun to change who we really are with someone who is influenced by social media.
With many negative effects theres a positive which is the gaining of knowledge. Although it
may be positive, it does not compare to the negatives technology has to offer.

Work Cited

Hu, C, L Zhao, and J Huang. "Achieving Self-congruency? Examining Why Individuals

Reconstruct Their Virtual Identity in Communities of Interest Established Within Social
Network Platforms."Computers in Human Behavior, 50 (2015): 465-475.
Koles, Bernadett, and Peter Nagy. "Virtual Customers Behind Avatars: The Relationship
Between Virtual Identity and Virtual Consumption in Second Life." Journal of
Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 7.2 (2012): 87-105
Strom, Paris, and Robert Strom. "Growing Up with Social Networks and Online
Communities." Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 78.1
(2012): 48-51.