For almost all of the kids born in this generation, the creation of our online persona is almost vital to how we experience the online realm. This could mean staying anonymous, sharing everything single detail of our lives, or simply using it to as a means to communicate with others. While identity development has changed vastly since the start of time, in our day and age, the internet serves a vital purpose for how the current generation is developing their personas and identities. This week, we venture through how the internet plays a major role in our identity development.
Wängqvist & Frisén (2016) discuss the major attributes on the online world in identity development. The kids today are growing up in a digital and online world, therefore, the way identity is formed has also aged. Initially frustrated about the lack of research that included digital identity development, the authors discuss research on the three ways online contexts impact digital identity formation: opportunities for identity exploration, means for self-presentation, and requisites for social interaction. Opportunities for social exploration meaning their search for their identity and who they are. Means for self-presentation being how they want to perceived. Requisites for social interaction as an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their identity and interests. Through their research, the reader is able to gain an understanding for these contexts and how they impact identity formation through online contexts. I think the way social networks impact development does carry into adulthood, especially given the rapid advancement in technology. For example, my mom is very into stock trading at the moment, and she uses multiple different platforms to further that understanding. From youtube to digital news outlets to even reddit, she continues to deepen her understanding of the internet. The way the internet transforms our identities is a continuous cycle that will grow as technology continues to grow.
The Bozkurt & Tu (2016) article attempts to address how social networks impact learning through identity development. In their article, they touch base on the three types of online presence: cognitive, social, and teaching. First off, cognitive presence describes the ability of the user to create meaning through intensive thinking and communication. Social presence is how the participants to identify with the group and engage with others in a sincere environment, leading to secure relationships while curating their own personas. Alast, the teaching presence combines both the cognitive and social presence — the meaningful reflection aspect with the collaboration aspect — therefore, incurring a strong and educational purpose. Their study provides in-depth knowledge of how each presence plays into how each person creates their online presence, and I agree that social media does impact identity development. As we grow older, our role in online context grows as well. As children, we used the internet for fun and games as well as learning, but as we age, it serves a different purpose. Just as we are now, we take the information we use and format it in a way to teach and educate others. Not only from an education standpoint, but as well as a social standpoint. The context we used in our early years develop and become more personal as we grow older.
Alast, I think it is important to foster a healthy environment for children as they become exposed to the world of social media. With so many different platforms, it can become very easy to get lost in how many likes or views one gets. While I believe that social media can be a fun and entertaining place, it is also home to many malicious and disturbing people. Parents should be able to monitor their children, especially when they are at such a young age. With that being said, children should also feel comfortable with being able to freely express themselves without fear of repercussions from their parents. Fostering a healthy conversation between both the adolescent and the adult to help mitigate these fears and being able to build a trusting relationship is key to providing a balanced online experience.
