THE PHENOMENON OF VIRTUAL IDENTITY: THE CONTEMPORARY CONDITION OF THE PROBLEM

Introduction. Modern society is characterized by the formation of a new socio-cultural environment, which is based on a wide access to a variety of sources of information. Mass distribution of the Internet has a direct impact on socialization processes of the representatives of “Z-generation” who spend enormous amount of time in a cyberspace, quite often losing at the same time an ability of real personal development, interest in acquisition of skills for real interaction and effective communication. In this regard, the research of a phenomenon of a new, virtual identity of the personality, which is formed in the Internet environment, is brought into focus.

The aim of the present publication is to consider the current level of knowledge in the field of virtual identity and systematization of scientific knowledge of this phenomenon.

Methodology and research methods. Theoretical analysis, methods of synthesis and generalization were used.

Results and scientific novelty. Various approaches to interpretation of virtual identity are considered; research tendencies are highlighted. The concepts “real identity” and “virtual identity” are viewed in relation to each other; the features and risks of virtual identity formation are revealed. The functions of virtual identity are specified. It is revealed that virtual identity reflects the subjectively significant image of the “Ideal-I” which is compiled from the completed material, character set and graphic images of the Internet environment, and therefore does not possess the uniqueness. Factors of designing by the person of virtual identity are described. Virtual identity can arise as a result of dissatisfaction with real identity, as a consequence of the identification crisis, in which the individual loses integrity. At the same time, it is shown that the cyberspace gives ample opportunities for self-expression and maximum personal fulfillment, realization of qualities, playing of roles and experience of emotions which turn out to be frustrated under any circumstances in real life.

Problem areas of excessive immersion into virtual space are identified. An immature personality can lose life orientations as well as acquire the programmed decisions and ready cogitative patterns through excessive Internet use. The social activity in the Internet environment significantly reduces the moral level of communication on social networking sites and messengers. Aspiration always “to be online”, fear to miss a new message or a post aggravate anxiety of the user, increase the feeling of fatigue and uncontrollable temper, scant attention and strongwilled self-regulation, aggravation of a hypodynamia.

The authors conclude that is required to continue to study the specifics of socialization in the Internet environment since it generates new forms of age development, changes the tasks and ideas of children and teenagers about social relations, and transforms an ideal image of the subsequent age stages in their consciousness.

Practical significance. The results of the work carried out can be applied in the activities of teachers, social educators, educators, psychologists and other specialists who deal with the questions of socialization of modern children and adolescents. 

1. Myasnikova L. A., Drozdova A. V., Arkhipova Yu. V. Visual representation of everyday life in the modern media community. Teorija i praktika obshhestvennogo razvitija = Theory and Practice of Social Development. 2014; 19: 168–172. (In Russ.)

2. Borishevsky M. Y. Дорога до себе: від основ суб’єктності до вершин духовності. Kiev: Publishing House Akademvidav; 2010. 416 p. (In Ukrain.)

3. Gnatenko P. I. Nacional'naja psihologija = National psychology. Dnepropetrovsk: Publishing House Polygraphist; 2000. (In Russ.)

4. Schneider L. B. Digital addicts: The formation of new dependencies and a change in the personality of a young person. Aktual’nye problemy psihologicheskogo znanija = Actual Problems of Psychological Knowledge. 2017; 1: 72–80. (In Russ.)

5. Soldatova E. L. Ego-identity in the normative crises of development. Voprosy psihologii = Questions of Psychology. 2006; 5: 74–84. (In Russ.)

6. Soldatova E. L. Investigation of the social situation of development in the crisis of transition to adulthood. Vestnik Juzhno-Ural’skogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Serija: Social’no-gumanitarnye nauki = Bulletin of the South Ural State University. Series: Social and Human Sciences. 2005; 7 (47): 169–175. (In Russ.)

7. Soldatova E. L., Shlyapnikova I. A. Relationship of ego-identity and personal maturity Vestnik Juzhno-Ural'skogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Serija: Psihologija = Bulletin of the South Ural State University. Series: Psychology. 2015; Vol. 8, 1: 29–34. (In Russ.)

8. Voiskunsky A. E., Evdokimenko A. S., Fedunina N. Yu. Network and real identity: comparative study. Zhurnal Vysshej shkoly jekonomiki = Journal of the Higher School of Economics. 2013; V. 10, 2: 98–121. (In Russ.)

9. Voiskunsky A. E., Evdokimenko A. S., Fedunina N. Yu. Alternative identity in social networks. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Serija 14 = Herald of the Moscow University. Series 14. 2013; 1: 66–83. (In Russ.)

10. Sungurova N. L. Virtual'naja samoprezentacija lichnosti: gendernyj aspekt = Virtual self-presentation of the person: Gender aspect. Psihologija i pedagogika XXI veka: teorija, praktika i perspektivy = Psychology and Pedagogy of the 21st Century: Theory, Practice and Prospects. Ed. by N. B. Karabushchenko, N. L. Sungurova. Moscow: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, 2015. P. 316– 329. (In Russ.)

11. Sungurova N. L. Individual’no-lichnostnye osobennosti studentov v informacionno-psihologicheskom prostranstve = Individual and personal characteristics of students in the information-psychological space. Moscow: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia; 2014. 170 p. (In Russ.)

12. Zichkina A. E., Belinskaya E. P. Self-presentation in virtual communication and identity features of adolescents – Internet users. Obrazovanie i informacionnaja kul’tura. Sociologicheskie aspekty: trudy po sociologii obrazovanija = Education and Information Culture. Sociological Aspects. Works on the Sociology of Education. Moscow: Center for the Sociology of Education of the Russian Academy of Education. 2000; Vol. V. VII: 431–460. (In Russ.)

13. Astafieva O. N. Virtual communities: “Networked” identity and personality development in networked spaces. Вісник Харківського національного універ- ситета: Теорія культури та філософія науки = News of the Kharkiv National University: Theory of Culture and the Philosophy of Science. 2007; 776: 120–133. (In Russ.)

14. Fadeeva L. A. Setevaja identichnost’ = Network identity. Politicheskaja identichnost’ i politika identichnosti: slovar’ terminov i ponjatij v 2 t. T. 1. = Political identity and identity policy: a dictionary of terms and concepts in 2 vol. V. 1. Identichnost’ kak kategorija politicheskoj nauki = Identity as a category of political science. Ed. by I. S. Semenenko. Moscow: Publishing House ROSSPJeN; 2012. P. 67–70. (In Russ.)

15. Zudilina N. V. Motives for using anonymity in the cyberspace of the Internet as a factor in the formation of human identity. Izvestija Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo tehnicheskogo universiteta = Bulletin of Volgograd State Technical University. 2013; V. 13, 9 (112). Р. 63–68. (In Russ.)

16. Vygonsky S. I. Obratnaja storona Interneta: psihologija raboty s komp’juterom i set’ju = The reverse side of the Internet: The psychology of working with a computer and a network. Rostov-on-Don: Publishing House Phoenix; 2010. 316 p. (In Russ.)

17. Deller R. A., Tilton A. Selfies as charitable meme: Charity and national identity in the #nomakeupselfie and #thumbsupforstephen campaigns. International Journal of Communication. 2015; 9.

18. Rheingold H. Net Smart: How to thrive online. Cambridge: The MIT Press; 2012.

19. Whitty M. T. Liar, liar! An examination of how open, supportive and honest people are in Chat rooms. Computers in Human Behavior. 2002; 18 (4): 343–352.

20. Shevchenko I. Some psychological features of communication through the Internet. Flogiston: Psihologija iz pervyh ruk = Flogiston: Psychology at FirstHand [Internet]. 2007 May 27 [cited 2018 Feb 19]. Available from: http://flogiston.ru/articles/netpsy/shevchenko (In Russ.)

21. Back М. D., Stopfer J. M., Vazire S., Gaddis S., Schmukle S. C., Egloff1 B., Gosling S. D. Facebook profiles reflect actual personality, not self-idealization. Psychological Science. 2010; 3: 372–374.

22. Wilson R. E., Gosling S. D., Graham L. T. A Review of Facebook research in the social sciences. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2012; 3: 203– 220.

23. Kosterina I. V. Publicity of private diaries: On the identity of Runet blogs. Neprikosnovennyj zapas: debaty o politike i kul’ture = Inviolable stock: Debates about Politics and Culture. 2008; 3: 183–191. (In Russ.)

24. Doering N. Sozialpsychologie des Internet. HogrefeVerlag, 2003. 516 s.

25. Eisenlauer V. Facebook: A multimodal discourse analysis of (semi-) automated communicative modes. Interactions, images and texts: A reader of multimodality. Ed. by C. Maier, S. Norris. Berlin: de Gruyter; 2014.

26. Garde-Hansen J., Gorton K. Emotion On line: Theorizing affect on the Internet. London: Palgrave Macmillan; 2013.

27. Emelin V. A. & Tkhostov A. S. Babel network: The erosion of truth and identity diffusion in the space of the Internet. Problems of Philosophy. 2013; 1: 74–84.

28. Farakhutdinov Sh. F., Deineko S. V., Ustinova O. V. The role of mass media in the spiritual and moral development of society. Sovremennye problemy nauki i obrazovanija = Modern Problems of Science and Education. 2015; 1/1: 1412. (In Russ.)

29. Fetisova O. V., Gugueva D. A. Values of modern Russian youth in real and virtual societies. Vestnik Novosibirskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta jekonomiki i upravlenija = Bulletin of Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management. 2016; 2: 251–255. (In Russ.)

30. Arpentieva M. R. Problems of security on the Internet: digital homelessness as the cause of digital dependence and digital crime. Vestnik Prikamskogo social'nogo institute = Bulletin of Prikamsky Social Institute. 2017; 3 (78). (In Russ.)