The Digital Self
University professor and author Lionel Trilling’s (1997) analysis of literature
about the “self” and its relationship with others distinguished sincerity and
authenticity
Sincerity is the exposure in public of what one feels privately.
Authenticity Person is one who takes action based on some internal standard
and takes responsibility for chosen action.
According to Zhao (2005), the characteristics of digital self are;
Oriented inward- Toward the world of thoughts and feelings, others cannot see
the online user’s over attributes
Narrative in nature- Online users will one come to know the person primarily
though what that person tells them
Retractable-Others are unable to link the online self-claims to offline identities
Multipliable-People can interact with one another in different domains of the
online world at the same time.
Self-Presentation
• The process that people are able to present themselves online in the
manner they want to
• It tends to be superficial
In 2011, Attril & Jalil found that students and nonstudents between 18 to
39 years old were more likely to disclose their interests online rather than
their beliefs and feelings
The basic kinds of people you interact with online are:
• People you do not know at all
• People you know online and offline ; and
• People you know only online
Example
• You need not to be introduced to talk to a stranger in a chat room, or to
read and comment on a blog, an FB post, or a tweet of someone you are
not personally acquainted to.
, • However, many of the people you interact with in the digital world are
those you know both online and offline although your familiarity with
these people vary considerably
• Finally, there are persons you interact with only online. Through
frequent interactions you get to know one another without meeting in
person
• Regardless of how much you have known them online, their offline
identity largely remains unrevealed and unverified
• People you have become familiar with only online are strangers and
acquaintances at the same time because you have never seen them in
person; you will not even recognize them face to face.
• Through online communication, you have come to know a lot about them
including their personal secrets they reveal to you.
Self-presentation behavior
Any behavior intended to create, modify, or maintain an impression of
ourselves in the minds of others.
Self- presentation Generally, social media platforms
are used for:
Helps facilitate social interaction; Social browsing
Enables individuals to attain Social Searching
material and social rewards; and
Helps people privately construct Communication and
desired identities
Impression Management
-Instrumental
-Expressive
Impression management is the attempt to control or influence other
people’s perception
Instrumental
It is the motive that gain rewards and increase one’s self-esteem.
Expressive
This motivation is about attempting to be in control of one’s personal
behavior and identity. It is a response to moral norms, expectations, or
restrictions, seeking to show others that he or she, as a person, is
different.
University professor and author Lionel Trilling’s (1997) analysis of literature
about the “self” and its relationship with others distinguished sincerity and
authenticity
Sincerity is the exposure in public of what one feels privately.
Authenticity Person is one who takes action based on some internal standard
and takes responsibility for chosen action.
According to Zhao (2005), the characteristics of digital self are;
Oriented inward- Toward the world of thoughts and feelings, others cannot see
the online user’s over attributes
Narrative in nature- Online users will one come to know the person primarily
though what that person tells them
Retractable-Others are unable to link the online self-claims to offline identities
Multipliable-People can interact with one another in different domains of the
online world at the same time.
Self-Presentation
• The process that people are able to present themselves online in the
manner they want to
• It tends to be superficial
In 2011, Attril & Jalil found that students and nonstudents between 18 to
39 years old were more likely to disclose their interests online rather than
their beliefs and feelings
The basic kinds of people you interact with online are:
• People you do not know at all
• People you know online and offline ; and
• People you know only online
Example
• You need not to be introduced to talk to a stranger in a chat room, or to
read and comment on a blog, an FB post, or a tweet of someone you are
not personally acquainted to.
, • However, many of the people you interact with in the digital world are
those you know both online and offline although your familiarity with
these people vary considerably
• Finally, there are persons you interact with only online. Through
frequent interactions you get to know one another without meeting in
person
• Regardless of how much you have known them online, their offline
identity largely remains unrevealed and unverified
• People you have become familiar with only online are strangers and
acquaintances at the same time because you have never seen them in
person; you will not even recognize them face to face.
• Through online communication, you have come to know a lot about them
including their personal secrets they reveal to you.
Self-presentation behavior
Any behavior intended to create, modify, or maintain an impression of
ourselves in the minds of others.
Self- presentation Generally, social media platforms
are used for:
Helps facilitate social interaction; Social browsing
Enables individuals to attain Social Searching
material and social rewards; and
Helps people privately construct Communication and
desired identities
Impression Management
-Instrumental
-Expressive
Impression management is the attempt to control or influence other
people’s perception
Instrumental
It is the motive that gain rewards and increase one’s self-esteem.
Expressive
This motivation is about attempting to be in control of one’s personal
behavior and identity. It is a response to moral norms, expectations, or
restrictions, seeking to show others that he or she, as a person, is
different.
