A look into identities role in encouraging internet use.

Essay by neurogrrlCollege, Undergraduate May 2004

download word file, 5 pages 3.7

Throughout the history of psychology the argument about the basis of identity has intrigued some of the greatest psychological minds. The question has always been, is nature or nurture the factor that decides a person's identity? In other words, is a person's identity caused by genetic factors or the environment they were brought up in? The question still lingers in today's psychological research, but as a result of the technological age the psychological community has hypothesized that nature and nurture work hand in hand in the development of a person's identity. Technological advances are helping the psychological community work through problems that once seemed impossible to solve. Although, as we advance we will inevitably face new and more challenging phenomenons, the latest being the internet and it's strange ability to change the age old process of becoming a unique individual.

The creation of an individual's identity is marked by many factors that mold them throughout their life time, starting before they are born.

The debate of nature versus nurture has fueled the exploration of identity in psychology. Even though many people theorized about genetic determination of one's attributes, lack of technology in the early twentieth century seemed to be the end of genetic argument. At this point in time Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, came up with a conclusion for the identity argument. He said that identity is centralized and unitary, and if anyone felt otherwise then they were suppressing an uncomfortable unconscious urge, most likely a sexual fantasy. Freud's hypothesis was lacking scientific evidence, but because it had "down to earth ideas" and "tangible" objects or ideas to play with, such as dreams and slips of tongue, it was adopted by popular culture (Turkle 276).

Later in the 1950's, another theory was adopted into mainstream culture. This idea...