Identity in the Digital Age

Identity is a shifting construct. For centuries it had been associated with our physical appearances, captured through portraiture paintings and photography as a way to preserve the ephemerality of our mortal existence. With the emergence of digital media, we have shifted from the predominant third-person narrative to a first-person one—where everyone has become a “curator” in shaping their ideal self on online social platforms.

In times of the pandemic, our efforts in the reproduction of our material existence has also been amplified as we lose our physical presence and connections with the real world. Are we losing ourselves behind the mirage of digital alternatives? Or, is technology enhancing our sense of self in the digital realm?