Taken from Baym’s 2015 book, “Personal connections in the digital age,” the quote under consideration allows expanding on the changes in the perception of identity in the context of digital communication and the process of building personal connections online. Namely, the quote suggests that the notion of the self is not monomythic but is, instead, highly malleable and variable.
In other words, the specified quote has an underlying meaning of the self-being varied not only depending on the associated social perceptions of the self but also on the individual interpretation thereof. Consequently, changes in the idea of self may occur in individuals as well as within communities.
The argument in question aligns with the main argument that Baym purports in her book. Namely, the idea that identities become highly pliable in the context of the globalized communication process, where cultures mix and fuse, which represents the crux of the book, is rendered in the specified quote perfectly.
Subverting the notion that identity should remain unchanged throughout one’s entire life and reflect the stereotypical cultural concepts associated with it, the quote in question directs the reader to the opportunity to embrace other interpretations of identity and accept the changes that social media communication produces one an individual in terms of one’s perception of identity and self.
Baym’s interpretation of the issue addresses the importance of progress and continuous personal growth. The quote in question rings true in the present-day environment of global communication and cooperation. Thus, Baym makes a major contribution to the discussion of the changes in the perception of self and the manner in which social networking shapes one’s identity.
Overall, Baym’s statement is legitimate and worth considering as an essential addition to the dialogue on the issue of self. However, it seems that the point of view that Baym represents could be seen as contentious, given the lack of consistency in the definition of self as a notion. Namely, with the very phenomenon of self-being rather vague, the utility thereof becomes questionable, which is why the problem needs to be elaborated on further.