Lesson 4.

Digital Identity Who Am I in the Cyber Disadvantages of Private Profile

World? • Network is very limited
Facts: • It will not help your business grow
• Almost two-thirds of the world’s population now has a • Engagement is very low
mobile phone • You don’t get to meet interesting people
• More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes
from mobile phones Personal Identity vs Social Identity
• More than half of all mobile connections around the Personal Identity is the interpersonal level of self which
world are now “broadband” differentiates the individual as unique from others.
• More than half the world now uses smartphone Social Identity is the level of self whereby the individual
• Media users in the Philippines grew by 12 million or is identified by his or her group memberships.
25% while the number of mobile social users increased -For avid users of Facebook, social media friends are
by 13 million or32%. more updated about their daily activities, connections,
• Tim Berners-Lee made the World Wide Web available and thoughts than their immediate families.
to the public 25 years ago. -Diaries that were once private or shared only with
• The number of people who are becoming more active close friends are now posted as blogs that can be
online continues to increase worldwide. viewed by anyone.
• The Philippines is among one of the countries with the -Many teenagers, as well as some adults, share even
most active Internet users. more intimate details with their partners like their
• Adolescents are among the most avid users of the passwords.
internet. -This could be an ultimate act of intimacy and trust or
• More than one out of five of the world’s population the ultimate expression of paranoia and distrust with
shopped online in the past 30 days the partner.
• More people are becoming interested and devoted in -Because of the conversion of diaries into public
using the internet for various activities like online revelations of inner secrets, the lack of privacy in many
classes, work-from- home office arrangement, etc. aspects of social media make the users more
Characteristics: vulnerable.
​ - Oriented Inward - Others cannot see the
attributes of the online user “Fear of missing out”
​ - Narrative in Nature - Online users will only ​ Compulsively checking newsfeeds and
come to know the person primarily through what the continually adding tweets and postings in order to
person tells them appear active and interesting.
​ - Retractable - Others are unable to link the “Disinhibition Effect”
online self-claims to the offline identities ​ The lack of face-to-face gaze-meeting, together
​ - Multipliable - People can interact with one with feelings of anonymity and invisibility, gives people
another in different domains of the online world at the freedom for self- ​ disclosure but can also
relatively the same time “flame” others and may cause conflict sometimes.

Selective Self-presentation and Impression Self-revelation can be therapeutic to others especially

Management if it goes together with self-reflection.
​ Self-presentation controls how other people -In addition to sharing good things, many of us also
perceive one another and is the key to relationship share the bad, embarrassing, and sinful things we
inception and development. experience.
-To construct positive images, individuals selectively -We also react and comment on negative experiences
provide information about them and carefully cater this of others.
information in response to other’s feedback. -We empathize with people.
-Anything posted online should be considered “public” -We argue with others online.
regardless of our “privacy” settings. -Relationships may be made stronger or broken
Advantages of Public Profile through posts online.
• Open communication -Blunders and bad moments are also preserved and
• Allows open discussion shared through photos- and video-sharing sites.
• Provides opportunity to widen business contracts -According to Michael Foucault, confession along with
• Targets a wide audience contemplation, self-examination, learning, reading, and
• Improves business reputation writing self-critical letters to friends, are part of
• Helps expand the market “technologies of the self” through which we seek to
Disadvantages of Public Profile purge and cleanse ourselves.
• Opens up the possibility for hackers -Confessional blogs may also be therapeutic for the
• Scams audience to read, allowing both sincere empathy and
Negative comments and bashing the voyeuristic appeal of witnessing a public
confession.
Advantages of Private Profile
• You have control over viewers
• Profile is protected from bashers and scammers
SEXUALITY ONLINE/ GENDER ONLINE
-Internet users are free to actively choose which gender
or sexuality they are going to portray with the possibility
of creating alternate identities.
-Social media has led to the emergence of “free culture”
where individuals are empowered to engage in cultural
production using raw materials, ranging from
homemade videos to mainstream television characters
to create new culture, memes, and humor. Setting
boundaries to your online self:

SMART SHARING
-Before posting or sharing anything online, consider the
following.
-Is this post/story necessary?
-Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of
our family values?
-Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny,
warm-hearted, teachable – or am I just making noise
online without purpose?
-Have we resolved this issue? An issue that is still
being worked out at home, or one that is either
vulnerable or highly emotional, should not be made in
public.

Guidelines for Proper Sharing of Information and

Ethical Use of the Internet:
-Stick to safer sites
-Guard your passwords
-Limit what you share
-Remember that what you put online or post on a site is
there forever, even if you try to delete it
-Do not be mean or embarrass other people online
-Always tell if you see strange or bad behavior online
-Be choosy about your online friends
-Be patient