Construction of Identity in a digital world is a process where people create and manage a self-image online through platforms like social media, this heavily involves curating information, activities, and interactions which is to help present one’s desired persona. This is a process of shaping oneself both with individual choices to be able to express yourself and this can lead to your online identity being very fluid, multiple and sometimes one’s online self can be completely different from offline selves. This is also influenced by psychological needs like the need for social acceptance. And then this raises questions about authenticity, privacy, and the blurring lines between digital and physical lines.
The construction of identity happens a lot in the world, with all of the different platforms that everyone uses. Like Instagram and TikTok, a lot of people on these platforms use bits of their offline persona and personality traits to create this “perfect” version of themselves that could possibly be liked by other people on the internet and to get social acceptance. Or even people make multiple online personas to fit into different parts of the internet, like how people might have two or more instagrams, the first one might be private and just for friends and family to follow and it reflects a more authentic self and the second one is public and it show a less authentic self to make other people happy in away but it also makes people hide the parts of themselves that come together that make them who they are.
The construction of identity in a digital world can be a big problem as a lot of influencers create this online persona where they have a perfect life and are always going to expensive holidays, or going to expensive restaurants and also always buying new clothes and showing it all on their instagrams and TikToks, and this can be a really detrimental thing for other people who have an average household income who can’t afford this and for younger children who look at these people, they get the idea that they have an amazing life and that is how a lot of people live. And they want to have that life, but what they don’t know is that these influences who do show all of their lavish holidays and shopping sprees but we as the viewer do not know how much dept that these influencers might be in or what they go through to be able to have the money to spend because all they post is all of the positive things that happen in their life and all the best parts of it however we will never know what is going on in the real life.
This can also be a good thing and people can create an online persona that refects who they are offline and this can have a really positive effect as people can make friends with similar interestes like video games or art or even sports and this can create a very positive online enviroment.
For exaple my online persona is very simular as my offline persona as I show the differnet pieces of art that I have made and I also show all the different theatre shows I go to like The Devil Wears Prada and Six the Musical. As I like to show the art I put a lot of work into and showing the cool shows that the west end has to offer.
