Personal Identity in Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Identity in Facebook - Essay Example As it has been stated, â€Å"A sociological approach to self and identity begins with the assumption that there is a reciprocal relationship between the self and society† (Stets & Burke n.d; p.1). In other words, one cannot define themselves without society. Personal identity is, therefore, who one is in relation to society. Such a society does not only exist in the physical world, but in the digital world as well. As it has been written, â€Å"Social networks such as Facebook can be of great influence in the way all of us in society shape our personal identities†. The importance of this relationship can easily be seen when social networking is the main form of communication between certain close relatives. The way that family members interact online is intriguing to study. The network can act as a variable that changes behavior. Changes in behavior due to online versus in-person communications and activities have been proven. For example, when studying the difference i n consumer behavior online it was found that online buyers tend to be more critical and flighty than in person. This is due to the fact that comparison shopping in easy. (Degeratu et al 2011). Personal Identity Background There has been so much important work done in this particular field that there are countless different methods that are actually used in the networks themselves (Abrudan 2011; p. 25). Some of the main basic operations that deal directly with personal identity are things such as creating a personal profile. Creating personal profile is usually the first thing that visitors asked to do on almost all of the major social networks, including Facebook. The profile will be the first step of the process of conveying much personal information. Of course, they ask for the most basic personal things such as name, age, birthday, and other things for identifying purposes. Those who sign up to be a part of this digital community first introduce themselves by granting their basic definition. The information that they give is part of how they desire to define themselves. Although it is polite habit, self introduction is rarely called for in today’s society. One need not tell who they are when they enter a mall, for example. This is something that is uniquely common online. It has an effect on how people identify themselves in their minds. After the initial identifying information is completed, there are usually more questions and surveys that work to uncover more about the person. These questions are of all kinds and in various areas such as hobbies, interests, favorite things, relationships, personal preferences, friends, family, contact information, and many other related topics. These are the kinds of questions that require the person to think seriously about who they are. They must decide just how much about themselves that they might be willing to share with the rest of the world. Once they have read through all of the questions that they are ask ed, some even go back over their answers, making sure the answers given are conveying the