Abstract
The construction of personality and its development through time is influenced by many factors, and as particularly important from the aspect of this essay, we would stress the social factor as well as the influence of digital space and existence: the participation of the individual in the digital world. The emergence of new technologies and the acceleration of the pace of life significantly contributes to the construction of identities in digital space, based on a number of influences, such as: the possibility of a ‘second life’, i.e. different presentation of oneself (of life) at the virtual level, an increase of social desirability, changing the perception of oneself and access to new acquaintances and experiences, and knowledge and information and selection of personal data. Digital identity opens the possibility of abuse and consequences. These include the circumstances of insufficient protection of privacy, discovery and illegal use of permanently memorized data in meta-media society and digital space, especially on social networks, and the possibility of manipulating and controlling the identity of another as well as the possibility of placement multiple identities, which brings questions the legitimacy of data. In addition to the fact that digital space has opened up possibilities for changing the way of life in all spheres, it seems that the most pronounced influence (both at the level of quality and quantity) is particularly visible on the changes in the design of the personal identity of the individual.
 
 Article received: March 23, 2018; Article accepted: April 10, 2018; Published online: September 15, 2018; Preliminary report – Short Communications
 How to cite this article: Deg, Dragana, Danica Glođović. "The Construction of Identity in Digital Space." AM Journal of Art and Media Studies 16 (2018): 101−111. doi: 10.25038/am.v0i16.257
Highlights
The construction of personality and its development through time is influenced by many factors, and as important from the aspect of this essay, we would stress the social factor as well as the influence of digital space and existence: the participation of the individual in the digital world
The emergence of new technologies and the acceleration of the pace of life significantly contributes to the construction of identities in digital space, based on a number of influences, such as: the possibility of a ‘second life’, i.e. different presentation of oneself at the virtual level, an increase of social desirability, changing the perception of oneself and access to new acquaintances and experiences, and knowledge and information and selection of personal data
Several questions arise: if identity is clearly defined, how can participation on digital platforms change it? The personality is identified on a daily basis in relation to the identity and the feedback on the social environment, which is happening at the virtual level
Summary
This article deals with issues of identity construction on digital platforms from several aspects, primarily on the level of identity itself and the factors that affect the construction, and the changes, challenges, benefits and risks from the changes brought by the new technologies. Taking into account the speed of information flow, as well as the digital platform as the principle of global networking, the influence and importance of the cultural construct, is very high in the acquisition of identity, because it represents a simplified and purified picture of a culture that defines what is common and neglects the elements which are a deviation from the community. In the search for what is common, which sometimes is not found, whether it feels unaccepted or fails to accept others to the desired extent to achieve the desired level of interaction, in digital space the person gets the opportunity to construct changes and to present its identity in a way that differs from its real identity. An individual creates an acceptable self, which secures the place and positive social feedback in the digital world of different cultures, thereby increasing/compensating the sense of belonging and self-esteem or, changing its virtual identity for the sake of increasing the acceptance within its culture. The relation between private and public space is transformed into the relation of personal against cyber space,[12] creating an illusion of non-reality
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