Constructing the self through modification of convention in computer‐mediated environments

Abstract

There exists a belief that the modern world, in which computers are so prevalent, “radically alters the nature of day‐to‐day social life and affects the most personal aspects of our experience” (Giddens, 1991, p. 1). Such a belief has been reflected in recent literature, suggesting that the on‐line world is one characterized by creative and innovative behavior. This research addresses the issue of how participants construct identity given technological advances that allow for participatory behavior no longer subject to the same physical or moral constraints found face‐to‐face. Findings suggest that the individual choice inherent in strategic use of programmed convention is not in fact welcome behavior. Virtual spaces emerge as being about far more than what individuals can do there based on technology. Such worlds are also apparently embedded in a larger set of cultural practices carried over from traditional face‐to‐face contexts.