Identity and the Internet Essay Example

As the world becomes increasingly more and more digital, so do identities. As everyone customizes their accounts and avatars on the internet for everyone to see, they wipe away the imperfections. People carefully curating their ideal self and showing off the glamorous parts of their life leads to a false idea of what reality is. Young, impressionable teenagers grow up to believe that they must have no flaws or bad days. This discrepancy between selves can be both a useful tool to express a different side of one’s self or can create damaging psychological problems.  

With the creation and rise of the internet, identity is created and changed at the user’s will. In face-to-face interactions, people are more likely to hide the negative characteristics of themself, but the anonymity of the web allows people to express themself freely without the constraints of their real life. Hu Chuan, a data and applied scientist at Microsoft understands the internet and researches the idea of ‘true self’ in the construction of online identity. “By hiding the corporal body behind the screen, the way people express themselves has found a new dimension.” (Hu, Chuan, et al. “Disinhibition of negative true self for identity reconstructions in cyberspace: Advancing self-discrepancy theory for virtual setting”). He describes the positives of cyberspace and how people don't have to fear disapproval from others online. Hu performed a study on 57 participants with open-ended questions to gauge their self-expression online. Eighty-two percent of them agreed that people can express themselves more openly online than offline. They also stated that they would like to behave like their online self because of the fewer restraints. True self is an important part of life, and the ability to express one's whole personality while staying anonymous can be freeing and healthy. 

Being able to have a balance between having an offline and online persona can have a positive effect on one’s mental health. Natalia Moran-Pallero, a Ph.D. student in the department of psychology and anthropology, conducted a study on teenagers to question the difference between their digital and real-life self. This study on 350 adolescents between 14 and 19 years of age gave them a survey on how different their personas were. They found that the teens that separated their two self-concepts had a more positive attitude than those who were similar in both. “Social Media allows adolescents to experiment with a different self-concept which influences their effect.” (Moran-Pallero, Natalia, and Elena Felipe-Castano. “SELF-CONCEPT IN SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ITS RELATION TO THE AFFECT IN ADOLESCENTS.” vol. 29, no. 3). When teens use the internet to express themselves while also having an active social life they are able to benefit the most from their online interactions. It is essential to have offline relationships because if not, the adolescent will just spiral deeper into isolation. Establishing both digital and real-life connections leads to better mental health and well-being. Posting the small and seemingly insignificant parts of life can also paint a portrait of one’s self and life as a whole. 

Having the ability to wipe away imperfect aspects of personal life can have negative effects on teens. They see their favorite influencers posting their flawless photoshopped body with their luxury goods and perfect life, and think they can’t have any flaws or bad days. They can also base their identity and worth on their profile and the amount of likes they get. In his dissertation at Rowan University, psychology student Shannon M.Gallagher performed a study on teens and how social media affects their social esteem (Gallagher, Shannon M. “The Influence of Social Media on Teen’s Self-Esteem”). He had 130 high school students take a self-esteem survey by the CDC and record how many hours they spend on social media. In the digital age, a teen’s identity is based on their profile, and their self-worth is dependent on the number of likes they get. Gallegher found that self-esteem and the number of likes the participants received on their last selfie had a positive correlation, while self-esteem and if the students were bothered about the number of likes they received had a negative correlation. Another aspect of social media is the way it influences teens’ perceptions of themselves and the people around them. Social comparison on the internet can negatively affect people's body image and identity. Young girls may be influenced by photoshopped bodies on Instagram, or their favorite celebrities promoting toxic diet products. They may also want to change their whole identity based on what's trendy on social media, leading them to be constantly changing and losing themself as a whole. The internet could be used as both a good outlet for self-expression or a harmful place that breeds insecurity. 

The internet is a tool that can be used to create and alter identities, which can cause psychological problems such as low self-esteem, or it can be a healthy outlet. Social media can have a lot more benefits on someone's identity than many believe, like self-expression, which can be beneficial for teens who are struggling to figure themself out. Having a separation between one’s online and offline self can also have a positive effect on someone's mental health. There are also negatives, like the self-comparison that happens so much online. With millions of people accessing social media on a daily basis, it is vital to teach them about online identity and how to have a healthy relationship with the internet. As society moves toward an increasingly more digital world, people need to be aware of their projection of themself on the internet and how that may affect them.