Digital Reality

On y va! Youth today find a purposeful identity in the digital world today. The separate realities allows for an amount of freedom and detachment, in which youth can rebel and forge an image of how they want to be perceived. Digital identity is a collection of all on-line activity that contribute to a person digital footprint. This conception of person is becoming the norm versus reality, as we are often judged digitally. When finding a job, anything posted is suddenly transformed into a magnum opus in the eyes of others. Compressing individual identity into a digital framework is quite the reductionist idea. People are overtly and subversively pressured into using technology and forging a digital identity as everything is done on-line. The assimilationist concept is not necessarily negative. In a competitive world a quick look at a profile should provide an image of the person being represented, but only a temporary substitute. Technological determinism is the theory that technology drives societal development in terms of social structure and cultural values. This is quite a frightening concept, as technology not society itself is driving society. This is not to say we do not possess any control as society orients technological needs and desires. Educators must help students understand the concepts of digital citizenship and responsibility. In a digital age, actions on-line have a lasting impact. Students need to maintain reality and understand their actions on-line may have a real world impact, especially through cyber-bullying.