Open AccessCreating an Online Self: Developing Virtual Identity in Online Group Interaction Spaces
Author(s) -
George N. King’ara,
Deckillah S Omukoba
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of current aspects
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2616-6976
DOI - 10.35942/ijcab.v5i3.185
Subject(s) - anonymity , identity (music) , social identity theory , psychology , online identity , social psychology , online and offline , metaverse , focus group , group (periodic table) , computer mediated communication , collective identity , internet privacy , gratification , social group , sociology , the internet , world wide web , computer science , virtual reality , human–computer interaction , political science , acoustics , operating system , physics , organic chemistry , computer security , anthropology , law , chemistry , politics
Online groups have pervasively become platforms for association and interaction. Hence, it is important to study how interactions on these virtual groups affect the selves of individual group members, and whether communication activities in these groups lead to formation of virtual identities of active members which is distinguishable from their non-mediated identity. To analyze the development of virtual identity, four focus group discussions of ten youthful participants each, who were members of various online groups, were conducted and eight social media experts were interviewed. Concepts of Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and Uses and Gratification Theory were employed to analyze collected data in assessing how online group interactions that involve fashioning identity, impression management, anonymity and pro-social behavior lead to formation of online group members virtual identity. We first interrogate how these online groups shape behavior online by interrogating the individual group member’s conversations and actions online and paralleling them with their conversations and actions offline. Second, using the three-dimensional identity formation model (Crocetti, Rubini, & Meeus, 2008), we crystalize how these online interactions and behavior cause individual group member’s to feel, think and understand themselves in ways that promote a unique online-self, which we refer to as the virtual identity.