The concept of identity in present-day digital media needs to be examined through the lens of the visuals used as the key elements of the online language of social networks should be discussed. In her article “Online identity,” Alice Marwick (2013) argues that customization plays a major role in the online portrayal of identity.
Stemming from her initial claim that the digital culture has helped to expand both the notion of identity as something that pertains to an individual and the concept of identity as a representation of belonging to a specific group, Marwick’s statement means that activities such as microblogging and participation in social media, in general, expands the identity.
Therefore, interactions with others are seen as a part of one’s identity and its development, which helps understand how the perception of self has been changed in the global cross-cultural context.
Marwick’s article means quite a lot for the present-day discourse around the concept of personal identity and the factors that may have a potential effect on its development and the manner in which it is expressed. Specifically, the idea of one’s identity being defined by the choice of specific visual elements in the online context could be seen both as the opportunity for expanding the cultural dialogue and restricting it.
Namely, visual media and online tools such as blogging do provide a shorthand for conveying the cliff note version of one’s beliefs and interests. Moreover, the tools in question have become the universal language for communication, which implies that a cross-cultural dialogue can be established using these items.
At the same time, Marwick’s statement focuses solely on the digital context without considering the restrictions that it imposes on communication. Namely, while the tools listed by Marwick do provide a chance to build an online rapport faster and reach an understanding more effectively, they still limit the dialogue to a set of preexisting ideas and concepts without allowing new communication elements and ideas to emerge.
Therefore, further analysis of the opportunities and challenges that the digital communication setting incorporates is required. Specifically, closer attention must be paid to the perception of digital tokens across cultures and their respective online use.