identitySPECIALIST

The following is a paragraph (with a few changes) from my research.  The focus is adolescent identity formation in online spaces.  I just wanted to share it – it’s totally out of context, but it’s what I’m learning.

Adolescents interact in online space and this interaction moves them along in the formation of identity.  The online interaction is not just a facet of an adolescent’s identity formation, with as much time as they are spending online, interacting with other digitized selves, it is becoming their identity formation.  Online identity formation is identity formation.  The ease of projecting any identity that they choose coupled with the fact that these projected and digitized identities are in fact their real selves interacting with other digitized real selves creates an environment conducive for real selves interacting and impacting each other.  The online space as a medium or as just another place makes the online interaction just as real as a face-to-face interaction.  The exploration of ideas, vocation, and relationships in an online space has the same impact and is not different than the real world off-line exploration.  Thus, all online interaction has the potential of forming identity and moving an individual toward identity achievement.