Understanding the Self 1

Understanding the Self 2

✍️ Module Guide
 This module consists of three (3) parts – the discussion of the lesson, assessment, and
references. Place your answers in a single Word document. Below is the prescribed format.

Name: ________________________________
Year and Section: ________________________________
Time Schedule: ________________________________
Assessment
1. Cite the test question/s.
2. Write your answers.

 Use the following standard format.

Font name: Arial Margins: 1”
Font size: 12 Orientation: Portrait
Spacing: 1.0 Paper size: Long

 Filename should constitute your surname, first name initial, and chapter number
(i.e. Fabillar, F. – Chapter 1). Upload your Word file to the corresponding assignment
section in the Google Classroom. You are encouraged to submit your answers on time.
 Understanding the Self 3

Chapter 7: The Digital Self

“The biggest part of our digital transformation is changing the way we think.” – Simeon Preston

Suggested Time Allotment: 3 Hours

Learning Objectives

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

1. discuss about online identity and the self in cyberspace;
2. expound the concepts of selective self-presentation and impression management;
3. evaluate the impact of online interactions on the self; and
4. identify the ways to establish boundaries of the online self.

Introduction

This lesson aims to help you understand how your digital self is shaped based on the
information you provide online and the mechanisms involved in selective self-presentation
and impression management. Moreover, this lesson also intends to help you analyze the risks
and benefits associated with online interactions. Specifically, about the positive and negative
effects of using technology and social media platforms. Finally, this lesson aims to help you
protect your online identity which may affect your offline personality, and help you become
a responsible digital user.
 Understanding the Self 4

A. Discussion

The Digital Self

 The term online identity implies that there is a
distinction between how people present themselves
online and how they do offline. But any split between
‘online’ and ‘offline’ identity is narrowing, for two
reasons. In contrast to the internet of the 1990s, people
today use social media primarily to communicate with
people they know in real life contexts like home, work,
and school. Second, wireless networking and portable
devices like smartphones and tablets make it easy to
access social media as part of day-to-day life, rather than
having to formally ‘log on’ to the internet. We are living
in a digital age and other than face to face interaction,
we have interactions involving technology-cellular
phones, computers and other gadgets. Thus, we build
our digital self.

The Self in Cyberspace

 Online identity is the sum of your online characteristics
and interactions. Social media like social networking
sites, blogs, and online personals require users to self-
consciously create virtual depictions of themselves – the
process of self-presentation. One way of understanding
such self-presentation is the information and materials
people choose to show others on a Facebook profile or
Instagram stream. But identity is also expressed through
interacting with others, whether over instant messenger
or email. Since there are fewer identity cues available
online than face-to-face, every piece of digital
information a person provides, from typing speed to
nickname and email address, can and is used to make
inferences about them.

 Every website that you interact with will collect its own version of who you are based on the
information that you have shared. Each of those websites will have a different picture of who
you are and what you do. Sometimes the different representations of you are referred to as
partial identities because none of them has the full and true picture of who you are. However,
 Understanding the Self 5

your online identity is not the same as your real-world identity because the characteristics
you represent online differ from the characteristics you represent in the physical world. But it
is up to you how you will represent yourself as closely as who you are and what you do in
real life, or selectively to create a representation far from your real life.

Selective Self-presentation and Impression Management

 These are characteristics showing behaviors designed to
convey an image about ourselves to other people and to
influence people’s perception about this image. This
explains why our behaviors can change if we notice that
we are being watched or observed. This self-presentation
can also change depending on who we are interacting
with or what personal information we have to provide in
order to present ourselves in a way that will be acceptable
to others. Thus, we select only what we want to present
so as to impress others, which we view beneficial to our
personality and self-esteem, especially when we create
our digital selves. We carefully choose representation or
expression of one's real world to the online world.

The Impact of Online Interactions on the Self

 Research suggests that young users report increased self-
esteem and general well-being following instances of
positive feedback on social networking sites like
Facebook. Relatedly, results from a 2009 survey of
college students indicated that the heaviest Facebook
users were also most satisfied with their lives and
exhibited greater social and political engagement.
However, online interactions cannot reveal our true
feelings and can decrease people's happiness levels. The
extra effort involved in face-to-face interactions can be
spared in online interactions that are founded on
minimal or constrained social cues; most of these signals
can be summed up in emoticons or punctuation. Hence,
it is easier to hide our emotions behind an email, a
Facebook post or a tweet. Studies were conducted to
show that within the first two years after people first
accessed the internet, their happiness level decreased and
that social media has a small, yet significant detriment
on overall well-being. This is because browsing social
media sites alone can lead to feelings of jealousy when
we compare self to the online personality of others.
 Understanding the Self 6

 Controlling our self-presentation in online interactions may be both beneficial and harmful.
This is because online interactions enable us to self-censor to a greater extent and manage our
online identities more strategically which provides greater opportunity to misrepresent
ourselves (e.g. being a poser, scammer, troll).

Impact of Social Media on the Self

Positive Negative
 Social media sites inform and empower  Extensive online engagement is correlated
individuals to change themselves and their with personality and brain disorders like
communities. poor social skills, ADHD, narcissistic
 Increased self-esteem when receiving many tendencies, a need for instant gratification,
likes and shares. and addiction behaviors and other
 Boost one’s morale and feelings of self- emotional distress like depression, anxiety,
worth. and loneliness.
 Low self-esteem due to the danger of being
exposed to cyberbullying and cyber-
pornography. Inevitable risks also to
cybercrimes.
 More occupied in giving attention to social
media than in keeping one’s customs and
practices.

Establishing Boundaries of the Online Self

 Here are some tips how to set boundaries
to your online self:

 Stick to safer sites.

 Limit what you share.
 Guard your passwords.
 Be selective about your online friends.
 Don’t be mean or embarrass people
online.
 Be mindful with anything that you
post in virtual space.
 Understanding the Self 7

B. Assessment

Instruction: Answer the following questions comprehensively.

1. What are the adverse effects of technology and social media to you?

2. What are your personal measures or mechanisms to counteract these negative effects that will
enable you to become a more responsible digital user?

Scoring Guide: Refer to the point system below to know how your answers will be graded.

1. Each item is equivalent to ten (10) points. Below is the rubric.

Points Descriptor Description

10 Excellent Demonstrates complete understanding of the problem.
8 Very Good Demonstrates considerable understanding of the problem.
6 Good Demonstrates partial understanding of the problem.
4 Fair Demonstrates little understanding of the problem.
2 Poor Demonstrates no understanding of the problem.

 The preceding assessment section has a total of 20 points.

 Understanding the Self 8

C. References

 “An introduction to online identity”. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.internetsociety.org/wp-

content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Identity-Introduction_2016-10_EN.pdf
 “Understanding your online identity: An overview of identity”. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.internetsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Understanding-your-Online-Identity-A
n-Overview-of-Identity.pdf
 Baym, N.K. (2010). Personal connections in the digital age. Malden, MA: Polity.
 Boyd, D. (2010). Social network sites as networked publics: Affordances, dynamics, and implications. In
Z. Papacharissi (Ed.), A networked self: Identity, community, and culture on social network sites. New
York: Routledge.
 Marwick, A. (2013). Online identity. In J. Hartley, J. Burgess, & A. Bruns (Eds.), Companion to new
media dynamics. Blackwell Companions to Cultural Studies (pp. 355–364). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
 Papacharissi, Z. (2002). The presentation of self in virtual life: Characteristics of personal home pages.
Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 79(3), 643–660.
 Park, N., Kee, K. F., & Valenzuela, S. (2009). Being immersed in social networking environment:
Facebook groups, uses and gratifications, and social outcomes. Cyberpsychology & behavior, 12(6), 729-
733.
 Villafuerte, S. L., Quillope, A. F., Tunac, R. C., & Borja, E. I. (2018). Understanding the self. Quezon
City, Philippines: Nieme Publishing House Co. Ltd.
 Wynn, E. and Katz, J.E. (1997) ‘‘Hyperbole over cyberspace: Self-presentation and social boundaries in
internet home pages and discourse.’’ Information Society, 13(4), 297–327.
 Image of the rise of meta me. Adobe XD. Retrieved from https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/wp-
content/uploads/2020/05/rise-of-the-meta-me-1257x550.png
 Image of the positives and negatives of young people using social media. BulliesOut. Retrieved from
https://bulliesout.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/skype-clipart-social-media-765557-191483-2.jpg
 Image of social media versus real life. FunAlive. Retrieved from https://media.funalive.com/article
/images/Instagram-vs-real-life.jpg
 Image of social media versus reality. Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/superwrong
/photos/pcb.1311621325845778/1311621222512455/?type=3&theater
 Image of social media killing friendship. Freepik. Retrieved from https://image.freepik.com/free-
vector/social-media-is-killing-friendship-concept-with-illustration_23-2148280537.jpg
 Image of the stress of your expectations versus reality. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.very
wellmind.com/expectation-vs-reality-trap-4570968

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