A digital identity: Creating uniqueness in a new contextual domain

Abstract

Individuals have often used various methods to express who they are and what they represent. Throughout time techniques may have changed but the essential ideas and goals remain the same: how am I able to show the world who I am and what I believe? This study placed that question in the context of the digital world and culture which has been created by all those who choose to partake within it. Centrally, an exploration has been undertaken into how individuals are able to build and engage with a personal identity which is created in a digital context. The study was conducted with recently graduated secondary school students in Australia who use technology for study as well as enjoyment. While a digital representation has both positive and negative consequences for a real-life setting, the techniques and features of what has become a digital literacy have allowed individuals to better define the world they live in, as well as how they want to be represented in that world. As a result of this investigation, participants were able to effectively reflect upon their experiences online and had begun to see the differences between the social and academic context in a real-life setting and a digital one. Further inquiry into this area may allow fellow researchers to better understand what makes the digital world an interesting and vital part of the modern context for the youth generation.