CHAPTER 5: THE DIGITAL SELF

“There is too much negativity in the world. Do your best to make sure you aren't contributing
to it.” -Germany Kent
Introduction
Filipinos continue to reign supreme in terms of social media use globally. A report by
a social media management platform Hootsuite showed Filipinos spend the most time on the
internet and on social media sites. The ―Digital 2019: Global Digital Overview‖ showed
Filipinos spend an average of ten (10) hours, two (2) minutes on the internet via any device,
and spend over four (4) hours on social media daily. The report also said that as of January
2019, there are now 4.39 billion internet users and 3.48 billion social media users worldwide.
Facebook continues to dominate the internet as the top social media platform with
over 2.71 billion users, followed by YouTube with 1.9 billion users, and messaging services
Whatsapp (1.5 billion) and Facebook Messenger with 1.3 billion users.
Kenneth Gergen (1994) writes of the postmodern ―saturated self.‖ We are beset by
many images of self via advertisement, film, TV, celebrity and life-style magazines, and even
Internet chat rooms. We suffer, declares Gergen, from ―multiphrenia‖ (a confusing
multiplicity of selves), hence put on many different masks-of-self when ―performing‖ online.
For example, we can put up different Facebook accounts for different social groups and
purposes, we have a Facebook group for family (usually the most decent), for friends (where
we post whatever we want), for school (curated to please our friends from the academe).
May you find this lesson helpful in finding yourself online, in forming you own digital
self—one that is authentic as you are offline. Also, may it guide you in the smart use of
technologies and applications especially as we enter the ―New Normal‖. Even if people
nowadays rely heavily on technology to survive with their work and studies, we do not need
to succumb to the culture of negativity and toxicity.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

 Examine how your online engagements shape your digital self;
 Discuss how one can cultivate a cohesive virtual self;
 Promote the responsible use of internet; and
 Discuss ways to detect fake news.

Lesson 1: The Development of the Digital Self

The idea of the digital self developed from the original phenomenon of the ‗extended
self‘, pioneered by Russell Belk in 1988. He believed our possessions are a major
contributor to and reflection of our identities. Back in the day, it was external objects (e.g.
clothes, jewelry, car, etc.) that he believed we used and considered as part of ourselves.
Nowadays, however, it is not merely tangible belongings that researchers consider
as part of our extended self. Out digital possessions such as photos, videos, statuses, texts,
and emails are now seen to be significantly important to shaping the self. Think about it,
could you live without your smartphone or laptop?

1.1. Who are digital citizens?

There are many definitions of digital
To explore more, you may also watch:
citizenship. But there is one thing that they Nine Elements to Digital Citizenship
all have in common: digital citizenship is by ChanceandSimon
positive, and we should all strive to be [Link]
good digital citizens. The better the digital ZU
citizens we are, the more empowered we are to maximize opportunities and minimize
risks online.

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 What is a good digital citizen? A good digital citizen has a variety of knowledge,
skills, and values that help them be responsible users of ICT, particularly the internet and
mobile technologies.

Source: [Link]

1.2. Why do we have a Digital Self?

The idea of the Digital Self is an interesting and relatively new topic discussed in
consumer behavior research. Researchers claim that the digital web allows us to try out
different personas that differ from our real-life identities. Here are some of the reasons why
we express ourselves online the way we do:
 Desire to meet the expectation of others: Research shows that over 50% of women
would edit their social media photos to look better and meet the expectations that the
media and magazines have set.
 Desire to boost our self-esteem: people upload photos and statuses online that they
will receive ‗likes‘ and positive feedback, which ultimately help their egos.
 Desire to feel a sense of belongingness: Some of us want to fit in with the crowd and
upload things that are ‗down with the trend‘ - for instance posting contents that are
trending like dance challenges.
 Bigger sense of freedom: Unlike real life, digital platforms allow us to express
ourselves in any way we want to without anyone there to physically judge us.
 Striving to be our ideal selves: Digital Photo Editing Apps allow us to improve our
appearances on photos (through teeth whitening, skin smoothing and body shape
editing). They help consumers present themselves as their ‗ideal‘ self online and
inevitably feel better about themselves.
The digital world has provided us with greater opportunities to express our identity in
any form we want to. But what we all need to remember is: how will we feel if we go so far to
express ourselves differently online that we forget what reality is, or worse, we end up
resenting it?

Lesson 2: Understanding your Online Identity

Your identity is who you are—your characteristics, habits, aspirations, and interests.
One‘s online identity is summed up by the way you behave online: that is, the things you

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spend most of your time doing, the sites you visit, the way you interact with others, and the
things you choose to highlight about yourself. It‘s part of your personal brand.
While a post can be made in a matter of seconds, it can leave a footprint for the
future. The damage caused in the moment can repeat itself many times over, even when
you might have thought the issue had already died. A good digital citizen knows how to
manage their online identity in a way that does not damage their reputation, endanger
themselves. If they don‘t brand themselves wisely, others may view them in a negative light
that could affect their relationships, education, and career options.

2.1. Selective Self-presentation and Impression Management

Impression management refers to the activity of controlling information to steer
others‘ opinion in the service of personal or social goals (Schlenker & Pontari, 2000). A
subtype of impression management is self-presentation. According to Goffman (1959) and
Leary and Kowalski (1995), self-presentation is the ―process of controlling how one is
perceived by other people‖ and is the key to relationship inception and development. To
construct positive images, individuals selectively provide information about them and
carefully cater this information in response to other‘s feedback.

2.2. Fear of Missing Out and Social Media Envy

FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” is defined as "the uneasy and sometimes all-
consuming feeling that you're missing out." FOMO refers to the feeling or perception that
others are having more fun, living better lives than you are, and you are missing something.
It involves a deep sense of envy and affects self-esteem. It is often exacerbated by social
media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Social media provides a situation in which you are
comparing your regular life to the highlights of others‘ lives. Therefore, your sense of
―normal‖ becomes skewed, you seem to be doing worse than your peers, and this may lead
you to wonder what you are lacking. Social media envy happens when a person becomes
envious of the lifestyle or aspects of someone else‘s life as seen through the eyes of social
media. Envy as an emotion is so closely associated with the experience of using social
media that it has made FOMO the acronym perhaps most closely associated with it.
People‘s online presence is often a distortion of reality. If we believe the rose tinted
view of other‘s lives, and compare ourselves too seriously with them, this can have a
negative impact on our self-image. We might think we are not successful enough, not smart
enough, or not good looking enough. A low self-esteem can lead to associated problems like
anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The problem is not that we are failures, the
problem is that we are judging ourselves according to an unattainably perfect benchmark.
Here are ways to ward off social media envy:
1. Remember that everything you are looking at is, at some degree, unrealistic—you
only see what others want you to see.
2. Make your life as exciting as you want to and treasure your real-life moments.
3. Transform envy into positive action.
4. Count your blessings. Success and happiness are subjective.
5. Remove what bothers you on social media. Unfollow if necessary.
6. Unplug, unplug, unplug. Practice social media detox from time to time.

2.3. Disinhibition Effect

In face-to-face interactions, we often hold back in things we really want to say or do
for fear of leaving a negative impression. Also, we abide by a set of decorum in such
situations because we are careful not to paint a wrong portrait of who we are. This is called
―impression management‖ coined by Erving Goffman.
But in the cyberspace, this might not be the case. For John Suler (2004), such
restrictions to behavior do not necessarily apply online. Unlike in real-life situations,

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individuals tend to act more intensely and openly in virtual interactions. This phenomenon is
what he calls the online disinhibition effect, or the removal of social inhibitions and/or
restrictions imposed upon people‘s behavior when engaging in the web. He further explains
that there are two main categories of behavior that fall under the abovementioned effect:
benign disinhibition and toxic disinhibition.
Benign disinhibition describes behavior in which people might 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 describes behavior that includes rude language, threats, and
visiting places of pornography, crime, and violence on the internet-places the person might
not go to in real life.
One example of Toxic disinhibition is Cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the use of
electronic communication to bully a person. Examples of cyberbullying include calling
someone mean names online, writing improper, abusive, or hurtful messages, or posting
inappropriate photos of someone that might cause their shame, sadness, embarrassment or
anger. Online behaviors of flaming (deliberately aggressive exchange), impersonation
(usurping an identity to damage someone‘s reputation), trolling (baiting others with
immature, mean comments), cyber stalking (repetitive, unwanted contact), and outing
(revealing someone‘s personal/private information) can be forms of cyberbullying.

Lesson 3: Setting Boundaries Online: Smart Sharing

The following guidelines will help you share information online in a smart way that will
protect yourself and not harm others. Before posting or sharing anything online, consider the
following:
1. What do I look like? (How would I appear to someone who doesn‘t know me?)
2. Is this ink permanent? (How long will this post last?)
3. Am I giving away too much about myself? (Is it even necessary for others to know
this?)
4. Would I want this shared about me? (How would it make me feel?)
5. Does it pass the Billboard test? (If this information were put on a billboard for all to
see, would I still be okay with it?)

3.1. Spotting Red Flags

How does someone know if something seems wrong? Trust your mind and gut
feelings when interacting with a new person online. They can ask themselves critical
questions, like:
 Has this person requested me to keep any information secret?
 Has this person flirted with me, or asked me about anything sexual?
 Has this person asked me about anything private?
 Have I felt pressured by this person to do anything?
 Do I feel untrue to myself when I talk to this person? Do I feel my values are being
broken?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, that should be considered a ―red flag‖.
You should be wary of interacting with the person further. If there are multiple red flags, you
should stop immediately and consider telling a trusted person about the incident.

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 Assessment

I. Identification.
______ 1. This is summed up by the way you behave online.
______ 2. The process of controlling how one is perceived by others.
______ 3. The perception that others are living better lives than you.
______ 4. The removal of social restrictions while in the internet
______ 5. This includes rude language and threats online
______ 6. An interesting and new topic in consumer behavior research
______ 7. When a stranger asked about anything private online
______ 8. It is left by post that is made in a matter of seconds
______ 9. Activity to control information to steer opinion of others
______ 10. Behavior when people disclose more in the internet than in real life

II. Make a slogan or poster about the responsible use of the internet. Use coloring materials
or digital apps to work on your output. Share it on your Facebook account and use the
hashtags #UnderstandingTheSelf #DigitalSelf #DigitalCitizenship.

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