thescientist | Over the next 10 years, people will increasingly shape their view of
themselves and their position in the world using their interactions on
Facebook, online games, and other social media, rather than traditional
identity-shaping features, such as religion, job, ethnicity, and age,
according to a report
released by the Government Office for Science's Foresight program of
the United Kingdom. While the study acknowledges that the trend can have
both positive and negative effects on individuals, it predicts that
online identities will have an overall profound impact on society in the
near future.
“This report shows that ‘identity’ is not a simple notion,” Sir John
Beddington, head of the UK Government Office for Science, wrote in the
foreword of the report. “People can have many different overlapping
identities, which are fundamental to their individuality. Identities can
exercise a powerful influence on the health and well being of
communities, and the degree to which they can build up social capital.”
