MODULE 7: Lecture 2

 

The Digital Self: Uncovering Digital Citizenship

This section explores the impact of technology on society. It focuses on how technology use enables people to become digital citizens, how it sustains relationships and forge collaborations with other people, and what kind of digital identities are being forged while outlining the responsible use of technology.

• The Self in the Digital World

• The millennial generation is known to be the generation of digital natives because Millenials were born in an era of rapid technological advancement. As a result, daily life is almost always dependent on the functions of technology, especially the internet which provides people with a venue for presenting their identity through social media platforms.

• The advent of technology comes with a corresponding challenge: to ensure that technology is used properly. This is the essence of digital citizenship, which refers to the norms of appropriate and responsible behavior towards technology use. Digital citizenship is annotated in 3 general principles: respecting, educating, and protecting oneself and others. Digital citizenship serves the purpose of regulating human behavior in a highly-technological and digital world.

• A major concern of living in the digital era is how technology shapes one’s sense of self and identity. One concept that is related to the concept of the digital self is online disinhibition. It is defined as the lack of restraint one feels when communicating online in comparison to communicating in person.

• Some individuals lose their inhibition in social interactions because there is an aspect of being present only in the virtual, a sort of anonymity. Anonymity may serve as an option for individuals who are naturally shy and introverted to express their thoughts, without a threat to their self-esteem.

• Nowadays, however, people are more inclined to show their own personalities via online channels. The internet becomes a multi-media venue for showcasing personal traits, qualities, and even experiences. The values and beliefs he/she upholds are also expressed in his/her online behavior. Thus, technology, through the development of virtual spaces and communities accessible through the internet, can be a basis for evaluating the consistency of the self.

• The permeating nature of technology has also influenced various technological and online behaviors people manifest. Within the concept of digital citizenship, there are 9 themes that cover these behaviors:

• The themes listed above emphasize the proliferation of technology in the world and how they are used for specific purposes. Suffice it to say, technology is here to stay. There is a need to adapt to the dynamic changes that technology entails.

• Technology offers limitless opportunities; its presence is inevitable. However, technology need not control society and people’s lives. An individual must define himself/herself based solely on his/her terms.