Online identity refers to the persona or personas that individuals create and portray in digital spaces. It’s a complex construct that intertwines the fluid nature of personal identity in both online and offline environments. It can be visually represented through avatars and is often authenticated through methods like registration, Adresse IP[2] tracking, and tracking cookies. The management of an online identity is crucial, especially in professional settings and involves maintaining consistency across various platforms. Online identity takes on different roles in different contexts, such as blogging, online businesses, and virtual world[1] communication. However, it also presents challenges and risks such as misrepresentation, legal and security[3] issues, and potential misuse. Despite these challenges, the societal impacts and opportunities offered by online identity are immense, influencing culture, gender roles, and even market dynamics.
Internet identity (IID), also online identity, online personality, online persona ou internet persona, is a social identity that an Internet user establishes in online communities and websites. It may also be an actively constructed presentation of oneself. Although some people choose to use their real names online, some Internet users prefer to be anonymous, identifying themselves by means of pseudonyms, which reveal varying amounts of personally identifiable information. An online identity may even be determined by a user's relationship to a certain social group they are a part of online. Some can be deceptive about their identity.
In some online contexts, including Forums Internet, online chatset massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), users can represent themselves visually by choosing an avatar, an icon-sized graphic image. Avatars are one way users express their online identity. Through interaction with other users, an established online identity acquires a réputation, which enables other users to decide whether the identity is worthy of trust. Online identities are associated with users through authentication, which typically requires registration et logging in. Some websites also use the user's Adresse IP ou tracking cookies to identify users.
The concept of the self, and how this is influenced by emerging technologies, are a subject of research in fields such as education, psychologieet sociology. Les online disinhibition effect is a notable example, referring to a concept of unwise and uninhibited behavior on the Internet, arising as a result of anonymity and audience gratification.