As humans, we experience the introduction of new ideas and relationships. As a result, our identities experience growth and the possibility of transformation. Each person has multiple identities, whether they consciously recognize that or not. Your identity with a parent or family member may not be the same as your identity with a friend or romantic partner. Identities play an important role in our lives that affect our relationships, especially the interpersonal ones. The introduction of the internet shaped new ways to express our identities; the internet also gave us the ability to potentially create new ones.
People find solace in communicating their identities online rather than in person because of the “protection” that they feel the internet offers. It is also easier to connect/find people online who are more like you because of how vast the internet is and because of how many people are using it on a daily basis. One concept that John Stewart, the author of the interpersonal relationship/communication text Together is Inhaling and Exhaling Online: Perception and Constructing Selves, mentions is that “people can be in cyberspace what they can’t be in other parts of their world”. To further break this down, someone whose sex is a woman may not feel like a “woman”. Their identity may be comprised of more masculine traits, therefore they may express themselves online as a man due to fear of judgement by their friends and family.
More people than we realize may be unhappy with their image than is expressed in person; therefore, these individuals may find comfort in expressing their identities online because of the perceived mask the internet offers. There is sadness in that truth; people are afraid to express themselves for who they really are because of the socially constructed mockery and shame that comes with being “different”. These individuals can feel that they can fully express their truth online through a new identity or through a different interpretation of the one they currently have.
When speaking for myself, my truth and identity are expressed the same way online as they are in person. I am very open and willing to talk about my struggles and successes. To me, this is a unique aspect of myself. I never hide how I’m feeling, what I’m thinking, or anything else of that sort. Of course, my identity changes just like everyone else’s. I am fully accepting of the change, and feel that it’s almost liberating to know that I won’t always be the “same” person for my whole life. My identity is comprised of different attributes that play a role of constructing my “core” identity, which is my most truthful identity, and it has been made possible by the combinations of different aspects of identities in general.
I express my identity through honest articles. These articles are events that I have experienced in my life. Some articles are harder to write than others; for example, it almost took me a whole year to write about my anxiety and depression after I had experienced both. Everything in the article was true, right down to every detail. I know that these articles may resonate with other individuals that have experienced events in their lives that are similar. Through my articles, I can express my identity more fully and in more detail. This is important to me, because sometimes I can’t verbally express how I am truly feeling-I do try anyways. I find strength and courage in writing these articles, because I know for some people, these topics are hard to discuss. These articles are a way for me to connect with strangers interpersonally. I may never meet these strangers and they may never reach out to me, but knowing that they might have connected to my articles creates a peace within me.
To further explain different aspects of identity, I would like to again mention John Stewart because of his concept that states that “identities are multidimensional and changing”, and that there are three types of identities. Stewart’s concept can be applied to what I have previously mentioned about identities and the ability to shape them how we want. Stewart mentions that we have three types of identities; person, relation, and communal. These three aspects of identity come together to create an identity that is complex and ever changing. Our personal identity is the identity that makes you different from someone else, such as; being caring, charismatic, empathetic, etc. Relational identities coincide with the relationships that we form throughout our lives with other people, for example; mother-daughter, father-son, employer-employee, etc. Finally, our communal identities are created through a larger group, such as; “race, religion, gender, or nationality” (Stewart et. al, p. 93).
The internet opens new doors for people to discover who they really are and/or to even build upon their current identities. I know that there are people out there who aren’t comfortable sharing their life with the world like I am-that is who they are and that is what makes them unique, and there is no judgement in that. But, it is important to understand how certain platforms, like the internet, can create comfort for people who would rather express themselves on a platform where they can hide their true selves without being afraid of being judged by other people. There is no judgement in how someone expresses themselves, whether online or in person, only love and support.
HCXO,
Emma