Digital identity and the online self: Footprint strategies – An exploratory and comparative research study

Abstract

Reflecting on the thousands of diverse research studies of social media representation and digital privacy, this article presents a comprehensive summary of online personal strategies. First, the evolution of academic concepts about digital identity and the online self is summarised. Then, the article investigates the key dynamics of personal strategies and control issues in detail with ideas, experiences, stories and metaphors taken from 60 qualitative interviews from Central and Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. According to the key findings of this article, the universal patterns of online personal strategies follow mostly conscious decisions, resulting in users maintaining 70% control of their digital footprints. However, the remaining 30% of online activities are unconscious floating with digital dynamics and resulting in a wide range of non-expected consequences from identity theft to kidnapping. In summary, an intercultural and intergenerational model highlights the complexity and diversity of the studied field, providing a reference framework for future studies. The closing section presents a discussion of those findings of this study that are inconsistent with commonplace assumptions and conclusions present in the academic literature, promoting for study those subjects that still need to be extended or explored.