Who am I and Who are They?

·         How does identity develop over the lifespan?

All of us our on a quest to discover and create who we are. Throughout our life we are faced with decisions and exposure to cultures that give us opportunities to create relationships, explore options, and eventually construct a “presence.” Erickson teaches that from birth we are faced with crises, such as trust vs mistrust, autonomy vs shame and guilt, industry vs inferiority, etc. and each of us must resolve these major crises when they arise. For example, as a baby the primary crises is our ability to trust our caregiver. If we are able to successfully resolve this issue and gain trust for those around us, we will carry with us a sense of control over our environment which has an overarching effect on our identity. Bronfenbrenner teaches that we are faced with cultures and subcultures, starting with our family and moving outward to our school, peers, and religious identities. In the overlapping areas where these cultures clash we face moments to explore who we are. It can be as simple as Christensen’s love ice cream, but my friends are addicted to exercise. This can become a point where we must shape our identity! Do I love ice cream? Do I love exercise? Is it possible to be an ice cream loving exercise enthusiast? Throughout life we bring other influencing cultures in and they shape our overall sense of self, which begs the question: do we ever really know who we are?

·         How do modern children and adolescents differ from their predecessors?

In regards to identity, there is a vast difference between modern children and their predecessors. Previously, most identity was passed from father to son, teacher to student, and expert to novice; this is called a vertical transfer. In modern day culture we say a greater shift to a horizontal approach to passing the idea of identity – student to student, professional to professional, and sibling to sibling.

·         How does technology impact the development of identity?

We have seen this shift throughout history, but the primary reason for this shift towards horizontal transfer at this time is because of the impact of technology on the development of identity. Technology provides the opportunity for collaboration and connection to others who were not previously accessible. We are also surrounded by information that gives children and adolescents greater access to doors that may have been previously closed. A teenager in 1915 may have only seen the small window of becoming the owner of the family farm, but a teenager in 2015 will be exposed to farming, architecture, engineering, and corporate careers simply by pulling up YouTube on a rainy day.

·         How does social media, in particular, impact the development of identity?

Social media provides children and adolescents the opportunity to connect, but specifically it gives them an opportunity to create their “online presence.” The article we read for class "The Internet and Youth Culture" explored the idea that as we are exposed to new sites and ways to connect online then we must discover how we want to be presented - are we an online introvert or a world wide web extrovert? Who are we when we post on Facebook? What message do we want to send in our Instagram? Are we tweeting our true thoughts? Do the blogs we write represent our opinions and stances? Do we feel that our Pinterest boards show our passion that we feel for Harry Potter? Does Tumblr think we are as hysterical as we think we are? Social media is a brand new aspect to history and it is changing the development of identity by creating a whole new aspect of self.

·         How can we use technology to help students explore and express their identities?

Educators are given the opportunity to help students express their identities by offering them choice, exploration, and exposure to many avenues. As technology teacher-leaders we can also teach our students how to create a responsible and strong online presence. We can help our students become aware that they have a digital footprint and how their actions online are just as real as the actions in offline life. The assignments we create can be tailored to help students distinguish who they are and who they want to become, and we can use positive reinforcement to provide support as they embark on this lifelong process of developing identity.

Sources: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9z8jj1wUqldeFJXSkZWR0IwMzA/view