Personal identity in the POMO world

• Psychology and philosophy – the idea of ‘the subject’

• Internet and media has enabled self-creation• Creation of virtual representations of identity

and self• New social aspect has psychological effects –

new internal and external perceptions of the self

Personal identity in the POMO world

• Subjectivity• Consciousness• Reflexivity• Mirror stage• Social dialetic• Lack• Capitalist modes of production• Other

Personal identity in the POMO world• Subjectivity – death of the idea of the ‘self’ as a uniform creation. If

there is no self then you cannot investigate it!• Reflexivity – cause and effect are circular and have impact on each

other so neither can say to have come first• Mirror stage – the initial stage of identity where you recognise what

you’re looking at is yourself• Social dialectic – discussing opposing ideas in order to find the truth.

Friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships – contradictions • Capitalist modes of production – concept of users producing and

creating as a unit, however, having no power to influence and remain invisible

• Other – the idea of difference and being alien to ‘the self’

POMO and social media

• Completely deconstructed traditional channels of media and human communication

• Text v talk / home v public• Truth gathered through society – cultural mechanisms

and processes seen by the individual• No longer difference between refined and popular,

high and low culture – no difference between what is news and what is not

• No distinction between producers and consumers of news

POMO and social media

• Increase in use of social media – generation Y• Learning by doing• Curiosity• Trend setting• Peer acceptance• Trend of publicity within social media sites• Popularity

POMO and social media

• Profiles – creation of new identity (hyper reality)• Language used• Supports the idea of ‘self’ as existing• Constructed identity – lack of ‘real’• Even honest profiles are constructed reality and

therefore considered ‘fake’• Social media cannot hold all the context and

knowledge of a ‘self’

POMO and social media

• Collective consciousness – existence in the streams of consciousness of the internet

• If we exist in the minds of others, we must exist ourselves

• However – allows anonymity even within construct• Defined by friendships and links and shares, etc.

and don’t even need to say anything!• Matches concepts that self is ever-changing and

cannot be defined

POMO and social media

• Self struggles to be seen and heard• Idea that expression and impression created in

the world will have impact• Social media aims to overcome the barriers

between self and wider world but fail – blogs, social media accounts, etc. are invisible to many – damages self worth and ability to recognise and understand place of self in world

POMO and social media

• The word ‘friend’ has been deconstructed and stripped down to meaninglessness

• Individual has power to assemble truth accurately and safely – sharing allows others to comment and verify

• Power to contribute and challenge means organised bodies who claim to hold ‘truths’ cannot assert power over public

• Attempts to skew media/perceptions of truth have become less effective since social media

POMO and social media – task

• Summarise the learning in this PPT / lesson

• Identify the ways in which social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc.) meet POMO expectations

• Use examples – this means you get to look at social media!!!!!