In this blog post, we will examine how self-identity is formed in both virtual and real spaces, compare the similarities and differences between the two, and discuss the possibility of distinguishing between these two selves.

What is self-identity?

In a nutshell, self-identity is the answer to the question, “Who am I?” This concept has been discussed in various ways by numerous scholars, but they generally emphasize that individuals integrate multiple selves through experience and identification to construct a single identity.
Erikson selectively emphasized the identifications that occur during childhood, viewing self-identity as formed through the gradual integration of self-images. He explained that self-identity is a sense of enduring sameness within the individual, a sense of sharing certain essential characteristics with others, and a sense of one’s reality that must be constantly revised within social reality.
Another perspective views identity as the result of the integration of various developmental identifications. This includes various identifications that emerge during developmental stages, such as the physical self, dreams and fantasies, and the public self. In summary, self-identity can be defined as the integration of multiple selves acquired through various identifications across time and space during the developmental process.

Elements Composing Self-Identity

The elements composing self-identity can be broadly categorized into social, physical, and psychological factors. Since an individual’s identity fundamentally stems from defining their relationship with others, social factors are of great importance.
In addition, physical and psychological factors—such as one’s perceived appearance, age, personality, values, and hobbies—are also closely linked to self-identity. As individuals grow, they form their sense of self by grappling with and resolving conflicts regarding these social, physical, and psychological factors, and it is through this process that the elements constituting their identity are determined.

Self-Formation Through Social Factors

Regarding the process of social self-formation, there is a perspective that the self is formed while one contemplates how others perceive them. In other words, the way one constructs their identity by anticipating the judgments of others contributes to self-formation.
Furthermore, individuals form their self-identity by defining the roles they assume within society. It is also an important point of discussion that, among the various selves formed by society, a subjective and active “I” intervenes to decide which self to choose.

Physical and Psychological Factors and Modern Changes

Traditionally, the self was considered relatively concrete and fixed. However, as society and communities have become more diverse and complex, identity has also become fluid and pluralistic. Consequently, the process of self-reflection has taken on a more personal and introspective character.
These changes can also generate anxiety. Some argue that, due to this anxiety, identity issues have shifted from a social dimension to a personal one and have transformed into a matter of individuality derived from consumer culture. The theories of the subjectivization and fragmentation of identity are particularly well-suited to virtual spaces.

Characteristics of Cyberspace and Stages of Self-Formation

In cyberspace, individuals can freely choose and perform roles, and since gender is either removed or concealed, communication tends to be gender-neutral. The hierarchical order of traditional society is weakened, allowing new orders to form, and with fewer constraints of time and space, users are less restricted by their physical location.
In spaces where virtual anonymity is guaranteed, the process of establishing self-identity relies heavily on the individual. The experience of virtual space can be divided into a continuum of the tool stage, the place stage, and the mode of existence stage.
In the tool stage, virtual space is used as a simple communication tool, and at this point, the virtual self largely aligns with the real self. The place stage is characterized by perceiving virtual space as a venue for interaction and viewing oneself as an actor behind a mask; individuals maintain their physical identity in reality while adopting a dual identity that spans both the virtual and real worlds.
Upon reaching the mode of existence stage, virtual space is accepted not merely as a place but as a way of life, leading individuals to immerse themselves in their virtual lives while forgetting their real physical identity.

The Process of Self-Formation in Virtual Space

This three-stage development can be seen as arising from the types of behaviors individuals experience in virtual space. In the tool stage, individuals have only simple communication experiences, but as the experience of role-playing and becoming someone else is repeated, a separate self begins to be constructed in the virtual space.
This process corresponds to the social factors mentioned earlier. In the virtual space, where a fragmented and diverse society unfolds, individuals perform roles they desire or are assigned, thereby forming a self unique to the virtual space. As these experiences deepen and become more prolonged, that self-identity becomes increasingly clear.

Conclusion: The Distinguishability of the Two Selves

In conclusion, the factors and processes involved in the formation of self-identity in the real world and the virtual world are not significantly different. However, the virtual world is distinctly different in that it offers far greater social diversity and pluralism, and there are almost no practical constraints imposed on the individual.
Therefore, individuals can construct their desired self-identity relatively freely in virtual space and also have the potential to easily discard the self they have created. As virtual experiences deepen and diversify, the real self and the virtual self become increasingly separated.
Ultimately, we can anticipate that people will create a “self” in the alternate world of virtual space, and the choice of which self to adopt—between the real and the virtual—will become a matter of personal choice.