Benguet State University

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

UNIT 2 Part 2
UNIT 2.6 The Digital Self
1. Define the digital self
2. Compare and contrast real identity and online identity
3. Examine the many online factors that influence one’s sexuality and gender
4. Identify and discuss the importance of ethical behaviors online

ENGAGE!
What words/ concepts come to your mind when you hear the word Digital self? Write those words on the
concept map below.

The
digital
self

EXPLORE!
Below is an excerpt taken from an article online about the effet of internet in one’s identity. Read the
passage below and answer the questions that follow. Source: http://www.deseretnews.com

“When a 14-year-old Hannah Smith turned to popular social networking site Ask.fm in July 2013, she
wanted reassurance.
Stressd out from studying for exams and anxious about the return of eczema that made her feel ugly,
Hannah opened up about her feelings on the site, which allows users to pose questions others can respond to
anonymously.
The responses came in rapid succession. Anonymous posters urged Hannah to cut herself and drink
bleach. One even said, “Do us all a favor and kill yourself.”
When Hannah did just that a month later, her father blamed the anonymity of Ask.fm’s commenters for
her daughter’s death. The family demanded action against the site and Hannah’s death made international
headlines about effects of cyberbullying. What detectives found arguably much more tragic was that Hannah sent
the hateful messages to herself, hoping her friends would rally in her defense.”
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 Benguet State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

How do you define the digital self based on the exerpt above?
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EXPLAIN!
The story of Hannah in above represents what most teenagers like you do: searching for some support
from friends or even from strangers using social media- more like an identity validation. Think of those times when
you posted something on Facebook and you felt really good because somebody has hit the “Like” button. The way
teenagers seek this kind of affirmation online has become a vital part of how teens form their identity (Long & Chen,
2007).

According to Investopedia, Cyber identity refers to the “personality of personalities that are created through
a person’s online interactions.” Other references define internet identity (IID) also online identity or internet persona,
is a social identity that an internet user establishes in online communities and websites. It can also be considered
as an actively structured presentation of oneself (Nabeth, 2019).

Cyber identities were commonly used as a way to escape reality. In the same way, Wiszniewski and Coyne
(2002) emphasized the concept of “masking” identity as they explored online identity. They underscored that
whenever an individual interacts with others in the online world, he or she portrays a mask of their identity.

The use of internet contributes to the development of more versions of individual’s self, which makes it
more difficult for those who may already be struggling to figure out who they really are.
THE REASON FOR HAVING DIGITAL SELF

Digital web allows people to try out different persona that differ from their real-life identities for the reason that:
First, people want to meet expectations from others;
Second, people want to boost their self-esteem;
Third, people strive for their ideal self;
Lastly, people strive for their ideal self.

Winnicot (1970) proposed a theory of self, where there was a true self which was the instinctive core of our
personality and must be nurtured and realized. Then there is the false self which is created to protect the true self
from insult and danger.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a term for numerous technologies that follow instantaneous communication, status updates,
and social networking among individuals. Social media platforms today include text messaging via cellular phones
and social networking sites such as Facebook. The use of social media by the youth continues to increase across
the world on a yearly basis. The youth in every country use social media to maintain nearly constant contact with
their friends. The social media can have a positive impact upon loneliness, intimacy and relationship maintenance.
However, it also has relational issues via social media and recklessness online.

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 Benguet State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

METHODS OF SELF- PRESENTATION AND IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

Our interaction with the technological world has created a digital self among ourselves. Sometimes, as a
mask for self-promotion (Omojola, 2008), and other times to protect the true self from insult and danger. One
sociologist theorized on the methods of presenting the self. Erving Goffman (Burns, 1992) in his theory Dramaturgy,
studied human social interaction in comparison to a theoretical performance- the actors in a stage play are the
humans performing for others in real life. One can think of sociologists as directors who observe and analyse what
happens on the stage of life. Every social status that humans have is a part in a play and the role associated with it
serves as a script.
Basically, Goffman (Burns, 1992) is telling us that we care about how the “audience” reacts and how they
will judge our performance. This is where impression management comes in, which refers to the attempt to control
the impressions and opinions of other people have of oneself. We control others’ impression because we want
others to think well of us. Simply, think of a lady who is applying for a job. First, she tries to sell her potentials using
her impressive resume and then answering the questions correctly. It is important to remember that impression
management is not limited to job interviews. It actually happens all the time as we make an effort to change our
behaviour depending on the expectations of others- as in how we behave in a funeral compared to when we are in
a birthday party.
Since we want other to have a positive impression of us, we practice IDEALIZATION, which is an
exaggeration of our positive qualities. This is when we attempt to present the best possible version of ourselves
and convince others that our actions and intentions are clean and unselfish- a typical view of politicians running for
public during the campaign period.
Idealization also involves attempting to conceal our negative feelings and the secrets that others do not
approve of. Think of the times when we tend to act friendly towards people we dislike because it is polite thing to do
and we do not want to seem rude and disrespectful.
However, NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION (or the use of facial expressions, postures, gestures, eye
contact or anything other than words to communicate something such as tone of voice or appearance) sometimes
says the opposite of what we portray to other people- remember the saying, “action speaks louder than words.”
Certainly, if somebody says, “you look good today” with a disgusted look on his or her face, you would not care to
believe that person, would you?

ELABORATE!
To you personally, how do you describe your digital self? Illustrate your digital self through
an avatar. Use the space provided.

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 Benguet State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

EVALUATE!
EXERCISES:
Complete Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
Course and Year: _______________________
Exercise #1. Hannah’s Case

“When a 14-year-old Hannah Smith turned to popular social networking

site Ask.In July 2013, she wanted reassurance.

Stressd out from studying for exams and anxious about the return of
eczema that made her feel ugly, Hannah opened up about her feelings on the site,
which allows users to pose questions others can respond to anonymously.

The responses came in rapid succession. Anonymous posters urged

Hannah to cut herself and drink bleach. One even said, “Do us all a favor and kill
yourself.”

When Hannah did just that a month later, her father blamed the
anonymity of Ask.fm’s commenters for her daughter’s death. The family demanded
action against the site and Hannah’s death made international headlines about
effects of cyberbullying. What detectives found arguably much more tragic was that
Hannah sent the hateful messages to herself, hoping her friends would rally in her
defense.”

Source: http://www.deseretnews.com

1. What could be Hannah’s reason for turning to a social networking site to open up her emotions? Answer in
not more than 3 sentences. (5 points)
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2. Was the father reasonable enough to blame the anonymity of the site’s commenters for Hannah’s death?
Why do you say so? Answer in not more than 3 sentences. (5 points)
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3. How did the internet affect Hannah’s decision? Answer in not more than 3 sentences. (5 points)
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 Benguet State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

Complete Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________

Course and Year: _______________________

Exercise #2. Facebook Page

A. Part of your digital self is how you present yourself in online interactions. Create a Facebook
account by answering the template below. Then, answer the questions that follow .

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 Benguet State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

B. Follow-up Questions
1. Do you have a Facebook account? Why or Why not? Answer in not more than 4 sentences. (5 points)

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2. Are your status updates in your social media account always true? Why or why not? (If you do not have and FB
account, would you post status updates that are always true? (Explain your answer). Answer in not more than 4
sentences. (5 points)
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3. Cite an example of a status update that is untrue, which you already posted online. Answer in not more than 4
sentences. (5 points)
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4. What made you post this false status update? Answer in not more than 4 sentences. (5 points)
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5. Describe your FB experiences. Why do you go online? Answer in not more than 4 sentences. (5 points)
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6. How do you define one’s digital self? Answer in not more than 4 sentences. (5 points)
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 Benguet State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
SS 21 Understanding the Self
MODULE 3: UNIT 3 THE DIGITAL SELF Prepared by: CUYAN, A., ALUNES-TACIO, L. & TAAG, G.

Complete Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________

Course and Year: _______________________

Exercise #3. ONLINE INTERACTION EXPERIENCES

Research on the impact of online interactions on the self. In your personal experiences as a teenager,
how has your online relationships with others affect your sense of self? What could be the possible
factors that affected your identity at present? Write a 150- word essay on this. Use the space provided.
(50 points)
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References:

Cruz, B. (2018). Understanding the self, first edition. Sto. Nino, Paranaque City, JTCA Publishing.
Macayan, et. Al. (2019). Understanding the self. EDSA South Triangle, Quezon City, C&E Publishing, Inc.
Taag, et. Al. (2019). Understanding the self. Meycauayan, Bulacan. IPM Publishing. Pp 95