What does “identity” traditionally mean？
Identity traditionally refers to what makes a person unique and distinct from others. Oxford dictionary define it as the fact that a person or thing is itself and not something else. Before the widespread use of the Internet, a person’s identity was shaped by innate, stable factors such as family, regional culture, education, and ideology. As individuals, these factors were solid and rarely changed. However, identity can still evolve over time, influenced by later experiences such as hobbies and social interactions. In general, identity is an abstract image of “myself” created by the combination of individual experiences and personal expression.
Gaining the rights of “identity”
With the rise of the internet, the way identity is built has changed dramatically. The manner in which people express their identities is now evolving quickly. Profiles on digital media are carefully crafted according to the owner’s preferences. Instead of family names and physical appearance, people choose account names and portraits with few restrictions. Traditional factors that once fixed identity have become less important.
At the same time, we are losing the right to “identity”
Internet not only bring us freedom of how we can present and design our identity. It also mean the identity The Internet not only gives us new ways to design and present our identities but also introduces risks of distortion and falsification. Experiences on digital media, which shape our self-identity, can now be manipulated and filtered by big data analytics. As a result, our identities are increasingly influenced by digital platforms in ways we may not always notice.
This post raises such an important paradox about digital identity—how the same technologies that empower self-expression also subtly constrain it. I really like how you frame the shift from stable, inherited identities to fluid, self-crafted ones. It’s true that online spaces give us creative freedom to shape who we are, yet that freedom often operates within algorithmic boundaries that shape visibility and validation.
Perhaps the real challenge today isn’t simply about gaining or losing the “right” to form ourselves, but about learning to navigate and negotiate identity in environments that liberate us in a way but limits us in another…
The article demonstrates the shift of identity from being stable and ascribed in traditional society to being malleable and manipulated in the digital era. The article points out that the internet allows people the freedom to express their identity, but it also brings the risk of identity being controlled by platforms. This duality reflects your critical thinking on contemporary digital identity issues.
I really like this duality.People have unprecedented freedom of expression, But on another hand, this freedom is subtly influenced by platforms. It is very thought-provoking.