Effects Of Digital Technology On Identity

Effects Of Digital Technology On identity operatorIdentity is described as a consciousness of self, as creation a consistent and unique soul. (Fernald, 1997) Defining individual identity involves being conscious(predicate) of and understanding an individuals experiences, perceptions, feelings, sensations, images and memories. Ones understanding and explanation of them, the choices and decisions a person makes, and the action they declare in responding to changing conditions, needs, demands and challenges is another important aspect of identity. Beyond their moral and physical constitution, human beings consist of personal experiences, perceptions, feelings, images and memories (Dorscht, 1998). As digital engineering science is a vast area to cover, I will primarily management on the internet and peoples ability to connect with others.Paul Magnarella, of the University of Florida proposes that, as societies lead more complex and differentiated, due to technological develop ments, more specialists are needed, and affectionate integration is suitable based on the interdependence of specialized functions (Magnarella, 1997). modern-day humanity is adjusting to life within the global community. This has far reaching bushel in how personal, affectionate and cultural identities are formed and maintained. As the engineering science of the twenty-first century speeds up and expands access to information and virtual(prenominal) environments, constraints upon individuals to exclusively rely upon, and respond to their local physical environment is diminished (Jones, 1997).The availableness of information and technology has bear on the development of individual and group identity. It is further very recently in the time line of human evolution, that individuals and members of golf club have been exposed to civilizations, attitudes and agencys of thinking that are not insulated. in that location has been a great deal of attention paid to the developmen t of self in this technological society. The volume and variety of relationships now available to the bonnie person, through the Internet, at an interpersonal level, enables the individual an opportunity to construct a rude(a) self or identity for every occasion, with very circumstantial is expected in return (Eyck, 1998).Sociology is the study of human behaviour in groups, and focuses on the influences of fond relationships on attitudes and behaviour. In the Sociological Research Online Journal, Schroeder examines the social aspects of multi-user virtual reality. He states that there is stratification in cyber-space communities, with insiders and outsiders with different behaviours, roles, and statuses. Schroeder regards the possibilities for extending new opportunities and experiences in twain the natural and social worlds as sociologically pertinent (Schroeder, 1997). The way in which individuals perceive themselves and their place in the world, is fundamental to the motio n of identity. Researchers have described control as an individuals belief that they could cause not bad(predicate) or bad events. (Shapiro et al.) The schema theory is described as facts or experiences that are clustered around topics, which provide a frame of generator for individuals to draw upon when making judgments (Wresch, 1996). When an individual combines this schema with the way they selectively evaluate the limited information allowed into their consciousness, it further defines ones sense of identity. One point proposed is, that by role-playing or testing scenarios in cyber-space, some people are bring out prepared to function in similar real life situations. some other issue is that of gender switching on the web. Anthropologists describe gender as the cultural elaboration and meaning assigned to the biological differentiation between the sexes (Haviland, 1997), in the sense that ones sex is biologically determined, but ones sexual identity is culturally assigned. I n sociological terms, gender roles are expectations, regarding the proper manner and activities, and attitudes of males and females. (Schaefer Lamm, 1997 37) In cyber-space you can assume five-fold identities, change gender and seek different facets of your personality. Turkle quotes Jung, saying Jung believed that for each of us, it is potentially most liberating to become inform with our dark side, as well as the other-gendered self, called anima in men and animus in women (Turkle, 1995). In role-playing and gaming, such as the online fantasy game, Second liveliness. It may be seen as an exercise in fantasy, and a way to shit and gain mastery over a persona the individual is in control of. Second Life is a free 3D virtual world where users can socialize, connect and create using free join and text chat.One definition of society is a fairly large number of people who live in the same territory, are comparatively independent of people outside it, and participate in a com monplace culture (Schaefer Lamm, 1997). In cyber-space, people are forming virtual societies. A sense of familiarity and belonging is created, through interaction and virtual proximity. Participants in Second Life refer to their virtual communities as cultures. Culture by definition is, A set of rules or standards, shared by members of a society, which when acted on by the members produce behaviour that falls within a range of fun the members consider proper and acceptable (Haviland, 1997). To deviate from the rules can result in punishment or expulsion from the culture. There are both IC, in character, guidelines for behavior, and OC or out of character codes to be followed. These people feel that they deal each other. They interact both in and out of character and, in some cases have arranged meetings in the Real World.Sherry Turkle (Turkle, 1995) puts forward the intellection that computer mediated communications have saturated society with both alien and local cultures. Turk le points out that through such widespread social contact, we are adjusting to and assimilating other cultures beliefs and norms to such an extent that we as a society are being deprived of traditional social structures and norms.In this information age, one may locate diverse friends, create an jump off identity and explore avenues of study and areas of culture that were never an option a generation ago (Turkle, 1995). Culture jail is defined as a period of maladjustment during which the non-material culture adapts to the material culture and foreign ideas are a good deal viewed as threatening. (Schaefer Lamm, 1997) This definition could be paraphrased by stating that some individuals suffer from a period of confusion while the previously non-technical culture is adapting to new technology. This techno-culture lag appears to be more problematic to those who have not had as much experience with the technical and Internet related fields, than for example, the average secondary s chooling student. The modern teenager sees the Internet in much the same way the children of the 1960s took television for granted.From a sociological view our individual culture provides us with a predisposed way of thinking and behaving when communicating. Our mental lexicon is affected by our culture, in that we tend to have more wrangling or ways of expressing ourselves, relative to the degree of importance we attach to a prone subject. (Haviland, 1997) The way in which we communicate also guides our thinking and behaviour. This can be a potential source of problems when communicating outside our own culture. Phrases and words that are intended to convey a particular meaning may be misinterpreted and cause embarrassment or offense to a person of a different culture. The absence of body language and gestures when communicating by computer, whether through email or chats, seems to be guiding communication to a more generic form and adding a whole new vocabulary of technological terminology.Modern humanity is part of a networked society, whether directly or indirectly. Its views of the world, its cultures and individual identity are all being reshaped through the cushion of the Internet in our lives. People have become cyber-chameleons, adjusting to whoever they are communicating with. This flexibility is characteristic of contemporary society. One generation ago, it was common for a person to be born, live, and die in one community, while being married to the same person and working in the same job. In todays society it is not unusual to change jobs, and move, remarry and adapt multiple times.Societies suffer a cultural loss when they homogenize and streamline their identities in order to communicate and interact globally (Featherstone Burrows, 1995). The modern self is bombarded with instant(prenominal) images of far off peoples, events and cultures and distant happenings. This places the producers of this information in the position of becoming manufa cturers of reality (Eyck, 1998). It is more important than ever that the individual become certain of how to distinguish fantasy from reality and evaluate the information that is being served up to them (Balsalmo, 1996). The distribution of knowledge and power has made it more difficult for muscular social institutions to wield the power they once did. Knowledge is power, so peradventure to spread knowledge is to distribute power. Ones awareness of choices and decisions, of action and responses, and understanding of what they indicate, and how they interact and relate is what finally comprises an image of oneself, an identity.