Creating an Online Self: Developing Virtual Identity in Online Group Interaction Spaces
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Date
2021
Authors
King’ara, George N.
Omukoba, Deckillah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IJCAB Publishing Group
Abstract
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 threedimensional 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.
Description
A research article published in International Journal of Current Aspects
Keywords
Virtual Identity, Fashioning Identity, Anonymity, Online-Self
Citation
King’ara, G., & Omukoba, D. (2021). Creating an Online Self: Developing Virtual Identity in Online Group Interaction Spaces. International Journal of Current Aspects, 5(3), 18-31. https://doi.org/10.35942/ijcab.v5i3.185