The phenomenon of online identity has become so important, so complex, and so problematic to individuals and society that it requires our full awareness and a relentless commitment to further exploration. And, while there has been steady progress in its observation and analysis (through the consistent contributions of social sciences and humanities researchers and writers, some of them highlighted throughout this book), we are undoubtedly only beginning to understand the meanings and consequences of extending our personal identities online at a global scale. Just like a collage that puts together existing materials to create new art, what this book offers is to put into perspective what has been said and written, in order to open doors towards new ways of looking at online identity as a phenomenon of our times. The focus remains on the identity of the individual, as opposed to, for example, the group or community, yet an individual who is naturally engaged in a diversity of social interactions. As such, of main concern are the external practices of identity construction and performance, as opposed to the internal processes of identity negotiation, although the constant dialogue between self-concepts, personal, and social identity is self-implied. The tension between the term “online identity” and the ideas presented throughout this book might have already become evident. “Online identity” implicitly positions itself versus its offline counterpart. Alluding to a separation between the online and the real-life selves leads to an ideology that is no longer sustainable in a hyperconnected world. Still, as with many other concepts, there is no widely accepted substitute and we continue to need this concept in order to explain a constellation of other ideas. Finally, the underlying red thread of the book is the idea of identity commodification. In a highly digitized society, we are our information and this information holds value for various stakeholders, including ourselves. The term “commodification” has historically been burdened with negative connotations. When preceded by the word “self” to form “self-commodification,” the negative effect is only amplified. The perspective of this book is grounded on the idea that the reputation of commodification is worth salvaging. Self-commodification can be neither good nor bad, as long as it is acknowledged and consented to by all parties involved in the exchange. It is only when we recognize this vantage point that we can begin to understand how we can capitalize on the value of our online identities.
Chapter Overview
The subject of the book has been addressed in four chapters. If this were a novel and online identity its main character, the plot would most likely lie outside the six universal types of storyline exposed with the help of data-mining technology (Technology Review 2016). With no clear idea about the future of online identity, we can only assume what turn its trajectory will take. And, with only two possible endings (on the one hand downfall, tragedy, demise; on the other ascent, accomplishment, success), the emotional arc of online identity’s narrative is still undecided. Expect no closure in this story, only an open-ended inquiry into the status quo.
The first chapter, “Identity and the Value of Self-Commodification,” is rooted in the assumption that our online identity has become a legitimate and implicit component of our identity system. The implication of this rather abstract claim is straightforward: to discuss who we are online, we must first understand who we are as individuals. This logic should justify the brief theoretical detour with which this book begins, and which summons some of the leading contributions within the social sciences in order to introduce the multi-dimensional system of self-identity and the fluid relationships between who we are, who we think we are, and who we are told to be. Our ideas of self and identity have evolved historically with society’s changing circumstances. The commercial takeover of late modernity has normalized commodification and has made promotionalism ubiquitous. As a consequence, identities too are increasingly evaluated as quantifiable goods, being both products of labor and valued objects of exchange for individuals and the commercial system of the Internet. Commodification has surreptitiously engulfed selves and identities.
The second chapter, “The Datafied Identity and Latent Self-Commodification,” discusses self-commodification from the perspective of dominance. The historical context that fuels our identities today is one of deep digital immersion, where the “line” in online, and offline has become increasingly invisible and so, irrelevant. Consequently, the construction and performance of the self through social interaction happens neither entirely on, nor entirely off, but rather through the notorious line. Selves are inevitably formed as informational entities that populate a highly digitized infosphere. The massive quantity of data that individuals knowingly or unknowingly offer about themselves online represents the fundamental resource that fuels a prosperous economic system – the identity economy. The datafication of selves by commercial entities interested in extracting behavioral data to form sellable identity categories, or even define categories of one, for persuasion purposes is the foundational principle of what I have termed latent self-commodification. Its unfavorable reputation comes from the revelation that it exploits not only the visible but also the hidden layers of identity information that are produced by being online. The identity economy has been built backstage and remains ambiguous in the absence of effective regulation or enforcement, raising a constellation of questions about ethics, privacy, or personal data ownership.
The third chapter, “The Rise of Assertive Self-Commodification,” offers the counter-narrative to the story of identity commodification as dominance. The social turn of the Internet, with its unrestricted access to easy-to-use self-presentation tools, has made it easier for identities to become image-oriented and strategically managed, revealing the potential of the self to be a profitable project, this time for the benefit of the individual themselves. And, within a cultural narrative that valorizes the Internet as the new ground for achieving personal visibility and that sees self-promotion as the ultimate solution to a changing work landscape, the personal branding paradigm has become part of the online ethos. Backed by the glorification of self-entrepreneurship, self-branding has evolved from being an inaccessible practice, largely reserved for offline-established personal brands, to be a practical option for regular individuals wishing to enhance their marketability. The assertive commodification that self-branding entails offers the individual the option to hack self-commodification. The identity economy, with its behind-the-scenes datafication of identities, is not the only manifestation of the identity trade. A flourishing influencer economy is equally invested in the (this time consensual) commodification of identities.
The fourth and last chapter, “Researching Online Identity,” uses my own research findings to start a conversation about how online identities are constructed and performed in practice, taking into account the build-up of the previous chapters. This last section of the book draws further attention to the unique context of younger generations, for whom technology has always been an ordinary element of everyday surroundings, and the line always invisible. By exposing what young people understand of and how they relate to their online identities, we can evaluate our options of addressing their present and future vulnerabilities as infoselves. It has come to a point where our connection to new generations depends on our willingness to understand their behavior through-the-line.
Note
1 1 The 5 Rights Foundation caters to the rights of children in the digital environment.
References
1 Altheide D.L. (1995). An Ecology of Communication. Cultural Formats of Control. Berlin: Walter De Gruyter.
2 Clegg N. (2019). Breaking up Facebook Is Not the Answer. The New York Times (11 May), online. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/opinion/facebook-nick-clegg-chris-hughes.html (accessed 12 May 2019).
3 Dance G.J.X., LaForgia M., and Confessore N. (2018). As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants.