Digital Self

• Cyberpsychology

  New field within applied psychology that examines how we interact with others using technology, how our behaviour is influenced by technology, how technology can be developed to best suit our needs, and how our psychological states can be affected by technology
• How we interact with others using technology

  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Facebook Messenger
  • Bumble & Tinder
• How our behaviour is influenced by technology

  • League of Legends
  • Call of Duty
  • Mobile Legends
  • Valorant
• How technology can be developed to best suit our needs

  • Lazada
  • Shopee
  • Gcash
  • MyUste Portal
  • UST Cloud Campus
  • Food panda
  • Grab food
  • BPI Express Online
• How our psychological states can be affected by technology

  • YouTube
  • Netflix
  • Spotify
  • Tiktok
  • Snapchat
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
• Social Media


  Websites and applications that make it easier to create and share information, ideas, and interests. Allows people to create other forms of self-expression via virtual communities and networks. Has features that allows people to communicate to specific groups sharing the same interests.
• Digital identity


  The posts one makes on social media platforms, the online names one creates, the internet friends one acquires, the likes, comments, and shares becomes the digital identity an individual creates. Digital identities are extension of who they are.
• Social media was created to ease feeling of loneliness, but it might be actually be making users lonelier than ever.
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)


  The individual is anxious of being left out and feels the constant need to know that the others are doing.
• 56% of social media users suffers from FOMO and 51% of Filipinos engage in problematic internet use, which is linked to FOMO.
• Problematic Internet Use


  The incapacity to control an individual's use of the internet, leading to adverse consequences: physical, emotional, social, or functional impairment.
• Those who habitually post four or more times a day to social networking sites are most likely to be affected by problematic internet use.
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)


  Associated with negative emotions such as loneliness, boredom, or feelings of depression, poor interpersonal skills and low social competence.
• Cyberpsychology focuses on


  • Online and offline gaming such as video games
  • Mobile computing
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Virtual reality
  • Augmented reality
• Actual Self


  The characteristics an individual actually possess (WHO WE ARE)
• Ideal Self


  The characteristics that an individual would like to possess (WHO WE WOULD LIKE TO BE)
• Ought Self


  The characteristics that an individual feel they should possess (HOW WE PERCEIVE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WANTS US TO BE)
• Online Anonymity

  Gives people the chance to present any of these three selves and hence permits individuals to better present aspect of their true selves than they would feel capable of doing in a face-to-face interaction.
• Identifiable Offline World


  Any deviance from established social norms may be punished or ridiculed. A person's true self is often inhibited.
• Anonymous Online World


  The masks people wear offline are often discarded and their 'true' selves allowed to emerge (e.g. negative rants in Twitter, Facebook freedom walls)
• Identifiable Online World


  People may tend to express their "hope-for possible selves" (socially pleasing identities) (e.g. Edited and filtered photos in Facebook, posting of achievements)
• Impression management


  Selectively self-presenting or editing messages to reveal socially desirable attitudes and dimensions of the self.
• Positive effect of impression management

  Positive role in the role of privacy or the amount of contact that someone has with others.
• Negative effect of impression management

  Increased aggression and anti-social behaviour.
• Autonomy


  Where people can try out new behaviors without fear of social consequences.
• Responsible use of Social Media - Guide questions to consider before posting

  • Is this post/story necessary?
  • Is there a real benefit to this post– is it funny, warm-hearted, teachable– or am I just making noise online without purpose?
• Netiquette - The ABCs of Online School Etiquette

  • Avoid acronyms
  • Brevity
  • Courtesy
  • Ditching distractions
  • Early
  • Focus and friendships
  • Good intentions
• Digital Citizenship (Council of Europe, 2019)

  • Being Online: Access and inclusion, Learning and creativity, Media and information literacy
  • Well-being Online: Ethics and empathy, Health and well-being, E-presence and communications
  • Rights online: Active participation, Rights and responsibilities, Privacy and security, Consumer awareness
• Negative effects of Social Media on Mental Health


  • Comparison and Envy
  • Cyberbullying
  • Addiction and Time Drain
  • Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
  • Filter Bubbles and Polarization
• Internet Gaming Disorder


  A pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control over gaming, precedence over other interests and activities, and sufficient severity evident for at least 12 months.
• Disconnectedness


  The increasing use of gadgets and presence in social media. We prefer to stay stuck on social media creating posts or stalking someone else's account for hours while being MENTALLY INSENSITIVE to what's happening around us.
• Developing and Nurturing Virtual Relationship

  Social networking sites allows individuals to gain thousands of friends and even millions of followers. This eventually leads to creating virtual relationships which satisfied the need for relationships and intimacy. This can provide positive impact on the individual but can also cause inability to maintain face to face relationships which demands more personal adjustments and understanding on human differences. Relationships have become superficial as we tend to nurture the relationship only within the confines of digital environment which demands simple duties such as liking and sharing.
• Online Recklessness


  The online world has provided its users the opportunity to express themselves by communicating their thoughts and responses whether in the form of an emoticon, emoji, animated gif, meme or through traditional words. It can trigger public outrage or collective reaction from all of those who can see our raw reactions. We are all liable for our acts but many have revealed the tendency is to be reckless and irresponsible.
• Distorted Identity Formation


  The digital world offers the opportunity to create or enhance several identities according to our hearts design. This becomes our too; to create a "new identity" that will guarantee acceptance by the valued online friends, followers, and acquaintances despite the deviation from what is real.
• Self Obsession


  Constant exposure to the online world has evidently increased the incidence of narcissism. Many have become self-obsessed and self-absorbed as facilitated and promoted by the social media. The digital world has inspired individuals to be so amazed about the me, myself, and I craze.
• Reasons for Engaging in the Digital Hype

  Desire to meet expectations of the significant others, it boosts the ego and self-esteem, each has the need to belong/loved, the digital web provides individuals with much freedom to express themselves in varied forms, the digital world allows the individual to achieve his or her ideal self.