Day 3 Sunday 8/12. What has to be included in our topography of IDA? What concepts have to be discussed/explained? What ideas have to be demonstrated? What articles have to be linked to? What images have to be integrated? What voices have to heard? What foundation has to be constructed? Your job is to suggest 3-5 elements that have to be “in” the site and why & comment on your peers’ posts to generate discussion.
First and foremost, I think we should have words that we must provide definitions for. For example: identity, digital identity, heteronormativity, and I know there were some terms and acronyms that would also be helpful in explaining. This is something we must do because our audience can be anyone. We need to ensure that if they don’t know the definition of a word, they don’t have to go out and search for it themselves. Furthermore, providing our own definitions allows others to get a deeper insight into what we have collectively determined these words to mean.
ReplyDeleteOne concept that I think should be discussed because it affects so much of our identities is the societal impact and influences. In what ways does society affect our growth, inhibit us, grant us opportunities, shape how we think? I think this is where we could discuss how what country we live in, what religion we grow up with, what schools we go to, what areas of the state we live in (rich/middle class/poor), what friends we have, what organizations we are a part of, etc. affect the way in which we identity ourselves, how society identifies us, and how both work together to create a complex individual.
Racism, sexism, other forms of discrimination, and stereotypes are important because we tend to think of digital identity as somewhat anonymous (as far as some websites, forums, and games go). Showing how all these factors are still incorporated into the things we see and write about online is important because it’s a little more subliminal. With this, I am thinking of that one post about the advertisements and how women were portrayed as very sexual beings. I think this is important because, although they were being given “control” over their sexuality, the ads kind of just said that as long as you’re beautiful, you don’t actually have to know anything. These, along with other ways that stereotypes, race, gender, etc. affect our digital identities should be included because it is something still prevalent today and hopefully can make people who visit our website more aware.
Activism through digital media is extremely important and relevant right now. I think this section would be one that interests a lot of people. We could discuss the ways in which individuals, groups, communities, and whole races of people, have gained agency and a voice through their use of digital technology. I researched LGBTQ communities a lot and I found that they have found acceptance, have protested discrimination, gained respect, and found an outlet to be their true selves. Activism is something that many communities have participated in through digital media. The options here are huge.
Social media is also something that many people would be able to relate to. With this, we can discuss the ways in which people use social media to hide, reveal, or become someone else. Additionally, we can include the use of social media in the activism and race/gender sections. Social media has given voice to so many people but sometimes this voice is not always good. Maybe we can also explore here the negatives of developing your digital identity if not properly educating yourself. With this, I am referring to catfishing, fake news, cyberbullying, and all the bad parts of the internet. How do those things affect our digital identities and our identities as a whole?
I know that I was extremely interested in gaming identity. Here, we can explore avatars and how they create, support, or completely contradict our identities that we have created in the real world. Gaming is something that millions of people do so I think this would be interesting, especially since many people may not consider a part of our identity.
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DeleteSo are you suggesting the website exist both in the physical world and the digital world? What I mean to ask is if we provide a platform for real-world conditions to contribute to the exploration of digital identities, would that not extend physical identities into the digital space?
DeleteHi Rebecca!
DeleteI agree with you. Identity is such a vast subject and if we really want to know what it is, how it affects us, how we obtain it, etc. then we need to include everything that affects it.
Yes we are talking about identity in the digital world, but you're right, it is important to remember that the social world around us affects it as well. If we leave out any important information, we're going to miss what it is all about.
Rebecca,
DeleteI ageea with you, some people don't understand the acronym of IDA and sometimes it becomes a bit of a challenge. So having a tab where people can click to the have a better understanding of a word, would be very helpful.
Rebecca,
DeleteYou are right in regards to that we develop stereotypes in the digital world, and this is something that we actually do in our daily physical basis. I am glad that you are making the reader known that just like we have stereotypes and misconceptions in the world so does the digital world. This is something that did not come to mind throughout the course. I do have this idea that in order to develop a digital identity we need to access information and get educated from the internet, but just like another classmate mentioned we also need to have incorporated evidence in our opinion. In other words, solid data in order to debunk these stereotypes in the digital world.
Great analysis Rebecca it would not have come to mind, but thanks to you I know! :)
Perhaps as a preface to the website, identity should be contextualized as a concept that depends on (at least to some extent) an interaction and last for an undetermined amount of time. Whether we call participants in the interaction rhetor and audience, actor and contributor, or subject and object doesn’t have any effect on the interaction itself. This is because the interaction is not the identity, but is constitutive of identity. For example, (and I’ll immediately concede this is an awful example) a person who bumps into a table interacts with the table in a physical sense. And, because of that interaction a perception is formed. Any adjective assigned to that perception, let’s say clumsy, will do. Interestingly, though, another actor doesn’t need to be present for the perception to exist. Including a brief discussion to this end may persuade users to continue or discourage users from continuing, but it should be an option.
ReplyDeleteCentral to the topic of identity is the idea of transition. As it exists, so does it change because the finality of identity dictates the inability to interact, i.e. death. So what must be established is that because new interactions do and should continue, the identity abstraction responds in kind by changing. (I realize I am anthropomorphizing a concept at this point, but it is in the interest of saving space.) At any rate, the aspiration of any actor, rhetor, subject should be an evolving identity, assuming the actor, rhetor, subject wishes to continue living. Some might argue that the digital space provides a space in which to perpetuate identities of those deceased, say a Wiki on a historical figure, for example. To those who would I say that that identity is no longer transitive. It is simply accepted knowledge.
In the interest of balance, it is necessary to include a link or offering of Jaron Lanier’s “You Are Losing Your Free Will” along with Dalton Conley’s “Wired for Distraction.” When read together, the articles create a scathing critiques of the digital space’s vulnerability to exploitation and the negative effects of allowing one’s self to be modified in thinking and behavior because of it. Given our intent is essentially to do the same, we would be remiss not to include it.
The only image I can think to include is a cartoon interpretation of DFW’s “This is Water,” link to follow. Rhetorically, it reveals several interactions and creates several identities while acknowledging that regardless if identity awareness we are all subject to the mechanism of its creation. Check it: http://shriyalanglit.blogspot.com/2017/09/this-is-water-educational-theory.html
In understanding IDA, we need to understand 3 main elements: 1. People and their reasons for escaping to social media or playing video games. 2. The person's sense of self. 3. Level of connection/reliance to social media/video games.
ReplyDeleteAfter much read research, I have come to the conclusion that we must understand the person in order to understand the reasons behind their choice to participate within the confines of social media/video games. The reason I say this is because not every identifies with using the internet as a social space or playing video games. Some people, find it disconnecting to participate in social dating sites, Facebook, Instagram, etc... Those who refuse to interact within an internet space, have mentioned that they feel the interaction does not feel real or take away from real life interactions and happenings. For example, some teenagers do not use social media. Personally, I have an on and off relationship with my social media because I, like many others, feel like we are watching other peoples lives and living or wanting what they have. Some understand that you are just watching other peoples lives or watching what other people want you to believe they are doing instead of living your own life. This is also not the case for others who like to express their feelings or events for others to see. Some people use social media as well as video games, to interact with different kinds of people. They may not always create a new identity that is better or efficient for their interactive space but they do create comaraderie or connect with long distance family or friends.
This leads to my second element. If a person chooses to interact within a internet social space, he or she creates or portrays a certain identity. Their choice in identification is based on the persons sense of self. If a person has a strong sense of self they are less likely to create a made up profile or character/avatar. When a person or player decides to recreate themselves, they tend to make up a person or avatar that contains traits or aspects of themselves they wish they had or feel like they lack. Research has shown that people who have certain mental states gravitate to recreating who they are. This was common with people who have depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues and or people who are disabled.
This mental state leads to the third element. Meaning, the player or person feels more confident to interact within this space vs a real-world space. When they recreate themselves, they tend to take on the role they wish they had in real life. Leading the constant need to be within this space. However, there are some cases where everyday people, who log onto social media or play video games, interact constantly (not habitually) within this space as a way of revealing stress. The reasons and connections are not always set and stone, they vary depending on the person as well as their mental state which leads to the connection to the identity.
The ability to develop an avatar I feel is a important element due to my personal obsession with my Bitmoji. I do sometime jokingly get jealous of her. I often will alternate my hair from straight to curly and as I change my hair, she at times will too get her hair changed up. Her dress attire does NOT change only because in all honesty I don't have enough time to change her clothing. I sometimes will have a whole thread of conversations with just memes of my Bitmoji. It could be various factors that come into play with my love of my Bitmoji but either ways I can definitely relate to those avatars in the gaming world.
DeleteGoing into this with my video game topic as background information, I believe the ideas we need to demonstrate are those of race, sex, and self-confidence. All of which are to be backed by scientific studies.
ReplyDeleteThe articles we use must be scholarly articles, they cannot be blog-based articles that are based on someone’s opinion with nothing but their emotional attachment to the subject to back up what they’re saying. Although well and good, it is important to have scientific data that shows sure results because there will be many skeptics who will disagree with what we are trying to say (as there are for every topic in the world). It is more difficult to argue with someone when they have scientific proof of something (keeping in mind that arguments will still be made).
As for images, we need to make sure that there are various images that are all different but the same. For example, we cannot have pictures of people that only demonstrate one race when there are so many to be represented. The same goes for sex, we must include all of the sexes. The voices that are to be heard need to be that of scholars who have done their research, who have interviewed different people about their identities.
The foundation of the topography needs to be inclusive and full of self-love. There are lots of different ideas and opinions out there about the color of our skin, the language we speak, the way we look, etc. It is important not only for the readers to know that there are lots of bias out in the world and that it is okay to be different but for there to be a vast variety of sexes and races. After all, there isn’t just one aspect that makes us up as a whole.
Priscilla
DeleteI totally agree with you especially when you mentioned that in order to generate an identity in the digital world not only you look at entertainment and opinion of others which helps people develop a sense of identity, but most importantly, scholarly articles that have hard data with the most unbiased information. In order to shape a true identity and believe something to be true we need to access information that has tangible evidence in the web.
Great analysis Priscilla!
Priscilla, I like your way of thinking - it is more precise and specific. I was thinking too broad and general when it came to foundation of the website, but it is good to see it from a different set of eyes!
DeletePriscilla,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment,especially in your last paragraph, where you comment about love, I truly believe that love is the foundation of everything.
I feel that the definition of identity should be defined first before we move on to digital identity and the way the multi-media affects it. So I would start out with articles that define identity before moving on to articles that define digital identity. Then I would make sure to include the sub-topics of digital identity (such as politics, genre, sexuality, education, video games, advertisement, etc.) and have comprehensive definitions of how identity is molded by these. I would make the website as multi-media as I could (including photos, videos, links to outside websites, examples, links to peer-reviewed articles, blogs, ect).
ReplyDeleteSpecifically focusing on my topic of feminist digital identity, I would make sure to break down the most important topics my articles talked about: idealistic visions of femininity, the affect advertising has on individuals, how to use the internet as a tool of revolution and politics, and a warning against victim-blaming.
Ivonne,
DeleteI completely agree with your idea about providing a scaffold for our audience. In order to understand digital identity, I needed to educate myself in the complex notion of “identity” first.
The audience must have an understanding of our definition of “identity,” so they may then analyze identity in the context of the digital world.
- Kimberly Ortega
DeleteI agree with both of you. Context is extremely important. We can’t just assume our audience knows certain definitions. Plus, digital and physical identity are so different. We need to make sure they know the meanings of what both are so that they can get a complete understanding of our website.
DeleteAfter doing some research, I think that the following elements should be included on the website of Digital Identity Age. First, cyberculture, secondly, digital culture and thirdly new media. Because they are elements that continue to grow and change such as user-friendly, internet language and communicating with each other globally. Another area where we continue to see changes is in multiplayer gaming, and social gaming. Secondly, our digital culture is where our computer web, and communication. Thirdly, new media, which is our human-computer interface, computer animation, and computer installations. These are only some of the features of IDA.
ReplyDeleteI too found the digital culture important while reading research articles through out the class. I appreciate mentioning it in your analysis.
DeleteWow! I hadn’t really thought about this. I love this. Culture is extremely different online than in person so I agree. We definitely need to explore that. I also like new media because it shows our audience the many outlets and avenues by which identity can be digitally created.
DeleteI believe that the topography of an identity in the digital age I feel that all it comes down to the assimilation of the real world and the digital world.
ReplyDeleteMy main take that the required topography in order to identify identity in a digital age is a place where people can be entertained, interact with other people, and most importantly being able to get educated (information). I believe that information is the most essential factor when it comes to identity and digital identity, and the reason why technology is thriving so much today is due to the easy accessibility of information. People can assemble things in just a matter of minutes when the individual looks for concise instruction in the internet or even easier by seeing a YouTube video about it. Overall, I believe that the required topography is identity in the digital age would be the fact that people can get entertained, informed, and most importantly, be educated from it. That is how people generate an identity of their own due to their personal knowledge and acquiring knowledge from others as well.
I think we need to emphasize the interaction part of this. We don’t just want to throw information at our audience so I like what you said about being entertained. Part of being entertained in a learning environment is engaging and participating. I honk we should allow for comments and so on so that our audience can develop their identities as they explore our website.
DeleteI would foresee the understand that IDA is built through different aspect of real and digital identity and not in just one way. This would be the foundation of constructing the IDA. The elements in which the IDA would be to encourage the engagement of the user. This is due to the browsing being linked through common interest of the digital user and helping to develop the IDA. Seeing as how the digital world is enormous and there are several types of digital identities this more specific interests will allow for the for communities to begin to grow. For example, humor is can be broken up into distinct types of humor. There are some vine videos in which some will find funny while other see nothing but stupidity within the puns. Another element factor would be digital cultural in which the main mode of interaction with others is mainly that of social media by sharing every moment of your life with the internet. This is in many cases is the photo of your food prior to ingestion it. As lame as it may sound this too helps to develop the digital identity. Something as simple as the food being of a specific culture, etc. can build on the IDA. The last element would be to include the ability to share personal beliefs. Similar, to blogging where the user can write as much as he or she wants to. The ability to connect on a more in depth personal manner with the digital world. Something where feedback can be as constructive or destructive as the readers would like it to be. Twitter to some extent displays this through strong political views such as those of our president and that has helped to shape his digital identity. Those who respond to his opinion can then in turn state their desire to be heard through the voice of their digital identity. The ability to apply these elements in a site would help to establish a clearer and consisted identity in a digital age.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said in the beginning of your post. Identity is not created in just one way. There are so many ways that each individual develops. Similarly, there are so many ways by which we can define and describe identity. I also like the idea of it being like a blog. I think that reflects a lot of the research that we have done. We would be building our digital identities as we help others learn about digital identities.
DeleteI think it is extremely important to have the multi faced definition of what identity is. Anyone visiting the site should first understand identity before looking at all the sub-topics that branch from what identity is. Secondly, I think all the articles we have researched, read and responded to should be a part of describing and defining every sub topic because it could lead to someone understanding why the digital world is so accepting of everything and everyone. Thirdly, I think there should be a numerous amounts of multimedia descriptions and ways for the audience to be involved within our website. Wether it be a social media type of interaction, or simply a blog posting for others to respond and react to what they learn. This is also important because there is a multitude of different kind of learners and I think it should be accessible and as simple as it can be.
ReplyDeleteThe articles we have read must be included. Each of us has become a little expert in certain areas and showing our audience how much content there is, could encourage them to venture out and research for themselves whatever it is that they found most interesting in our website.
DeleteI think there are 3 elements that need to be included.
ReplyDelete1. Accessibility: Ideally, it would be great if most schools had access to technology that allows for multimodal compositions, but not most school districts can afford the best technology. Accessibility is something important to think about.
2. Pedagogical Implications: The audience needs to understand that digital identity can be studied in the composition classroom and that teachers can use students' knowledge of genres and digital technology to teach rhetoric and composition.
3. Identify any important terms that we've mentioned in our research so the audience can contextualize them.
It is difficult to organize such an abstract and complex concept as “identity.” There are so many avenues in which individuals may take to arrive at their understood identity (race, ethnicity, language, culture, social, economic, academic, sexual orientation, emotional intelligence, etc.). In attempt to effectively guide our audience through this complexity, I believe we must include the following:
ReplyDelete(1) Explicit definitions to avoid ambiguity, (2) Research support, and (3) in-depth analysis of the possible sub-areas of digital identity, which would also invite visitors to interact with through posts.
Explicit definitions will not only help get our intended meanings across, but it will also serve as a
scaffold for many visitors who may not be equipped with knowledge in this field. I utilize this process everyday in my classroom. My students do not all have prior knowledge on a given concept or encompass different schema, so I do my best to “level the playing field” to ensure we are all on the relatively same page.
Research that supports our purpose and goal of this website must be provided, so visitors may find relevance or importance in the information being shared. It is difficult to believe what you read online, so citations or links to scholarly articles will help our visitors find validity in the claims being made.
Last, but not least, our class has done an incredible job in analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing crucial sub-areas of interest that should be included in the website. I’ve learned so much from reading varying perspectives on multiple area of digital identity that have enriched my understanding for my sub-areas of focus.
- Kimberly Ortega
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ReplyDelete. As Rebecca wrote, a glossary that defines terms would be a healthy starting point. Providing articles, theories and links is perhaps the evidence that Erix is refering to. Which I believe, is found in the vast summaries of this blog.
ReplyDelete2. An element of this course does have to do with "Pedagogical Implications" which is why I second Karina's point that it has to have a component practical for educators to use. I reflect back on one of my "ESL Problems to Grammar" course. As a class we created tools/materials/lesson plans for teachers to use to help them improve pedagogical practices when it came to teaching grammar.
The main concept that needs to be discussed is the multiple meanings of the term Identity in the Digital Age that we have established or agreed upon. The ambiguousness of the term itself may cause confusion or disagreement, making people not want to be on the website, or even worse, making our website seem unreliable and lack credit or value. Therefore, we must establish that foundation of meaning and make it easily accessible for viewers to refer back to the definition of it. A lot of the times, we think we know what something means or better yet, we think we all have the same definition for every word. We all think of words differently, we all associate them with different ideas or objects. For that reason, a similar established definition will definitely come in handy upon constructing the foundations and topography of the IDA term.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to this foundational meaning of IDA, I think images are very powerful, very strong when it comes to learning. Images transcend languages and help us learn much better and more efficiently. We should definitely have images on every different definition or meanings and ways it can be interpreted. After every word or definition provide an image. I know Google has an option where you can search using an image, instead of words. Maybe considering doing something like that would be great for the website.
1. First and foremost I think the article Dr. Noe had us all respond to in the beginning would be a great starting point, it is where we started after all.
ReplyDelete2.Then I think we should talk about all the different aspects of identity that are important or relevant. Things like collective identity, identity as a social construct, personal digital identity, the different identities people find themselves in etc etc etc.
3. Then I think some more personal ideas of IDA and our own definitions that we came up with concerning our own individual topics we chose and some explanations of the terms mentioned in number 2.
4. I do think it is important to remind readers that the definitions we come up with are ambiguous and can be interpreted differently across individuals and where they fit into these different IDA's making sure we point out the changing nature of digital identity and platforms.
I think a good example of identity related to digital should be included. I found a good one in my research. I currently reading the book Born Digital by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser. In the introduction of the book they discuss how kids from this generation are living their whole life online even from birth. They used the example of how when babies are born now even the medical records are kept on the internet, then you have people posting all over social media. They call the children born after 1980, digital natives because they live most of their life online. When I first read that I thought I was born in 1986, but I don’t consider myself a digital native. I didn’t spend my entire childhood. Unless you count from 2004 in college till now. They also have terms for people like who grew up without the internet and the even older population. The one who had a analog childhood but then where around for the beginning of the internet, digital settlers. They call the other generation that not used to computers or the internet at all but are now trying to use it, digital immigrants.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a good book to link to under resources because each chapter covers a topic related to digital world. I like the information about how the digital natives can lose control of the information on the internet very fast. They may think they have control of what is posted but since they used the example of how even now when you are born, medical records are stored online. Our search information is stored online. What happens if all this information gets out.