This document discusses how online spaces and technologies allow people to construct and explore identities. It explores role-playing games like MUDs, where users can take on different personas. The creation of avatars and multiple online identities is seen as reflecting postmodern views of identity as unstable, relative and able to be reinvented. The online world provides an immaterial space where people can feel more comfortable projecting different aspects of themselves.

1. ONLINE
IDENTITY
THE ARTIFICIAL EXTENSION OF OURSELVES ON THE SCREEN

2. ONLINE
IDENTITY
THE ARTIFICIAL EXTENSION OF OURSELVES ON THE SCREEN
SHERRY TURKLE
POSTMODERNISM AND THE CULTURE OF SIMULATION
MUD
ONLINE IDENTITY
ROMANTIC MACHINES?

3. SHERRY TURKLE
BIOGRAPHY
1948. Born in NY, U.S
1969. Politics studies, Paris
1973. M.A Sociology,
Harvard, U.S
1976. PhD. Sociology and
Personality Psychology.
1976_present. Professor MIT
Social studies and human-
technology interaction.
THE LIFE ON
THE SCREEN

4. INTRODUCTION COMPUTERS AND CYBERSPACE
_COMPUTER
A TOOL AND A MIRROR
develop and tasks
and project ourselves
_ CYBERSPACE
IMMATERIAL MEDIUM THAT
EXISTS BETWEEN THE REAL
AND THE UNREAL
_ VIRTUAL PLACE
allow people
+ move to different places
(immaterial)
+ human interactions
+ construct identities and
different roles
+ build communities
(share ideas and interests)

5. POSTMODERNISM
_ POSTMODERNIST VIEW
AND NEW
TECHNOLOGIES
CHANGED THE
UNDERSTANDING OF
HUMAN IDENTITY
+ Instable
+ Relative
+ Decentred
+ Plural
+ Contradictory
+ Aesthetic

6. THE CULTURE OF SIMULATION
POSTMODERNISM VIEW
AND SIMULATED SPACES
COMPUTERS AND NEW
TECHNOLOGIES EMBODY
POSTMODERNIST THEORIES
_ FROM THE
CULTURE OF CALCULATION
TOWARD THE
CULTURE OF SIMULATION
The culture of simulation is
affecting the way that people
understand their mind and body
_ NEW RELATIONSHIPS
MIND / BODY / SELF / MACHINE

7. THE CULTURE OF SIMULATION
_ SIMULATED
ENVIRONMENTS
between the real
and the artificial
creation of artificial worlds
and virtual relationships
_ THE USE OF
TECHNOLOGY IN
SIMULATED
ENVIRONMENTS
HUMAN EXTENSION

8. THE CULTURE OF SIMULATION
SIMULATED WORLDS
“THIS IS MORE REAL
THAN THE REAL LIFE”
GRAPHIC / AESTHETIC WORLD
_ SIMULATED
REALITY
immaterial and visual world
_ REINVENTION OF
IDENTITY
new medias and online
participation allow people to
redefine ourselves
_ COMPUTER GAMES
ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
example of culture of simulation

9. MUD MULTI-PLAYER-DOMAINS / DUNGEOS
MULTI-PLAYER-DOMAINS /
“DUNGEOS AND DRAGONS”
_ APPLICATION OF
POSTMODERNISM
BETWEEN THE REAL
AND THE UNREAL
Interaction between
real people + robots

10. MUD MULTI-PLAYER-DOMAINS / DUNGEOS
MULTI-PLAYER-DOMAINS
“DUNGEOS AND DRAGONS”
Developed by Gary Gygax, 1974
_ TEXT-BASED
COMPUTER GAME
ROLE-PLAYING GAME
Simulation of fantastic
worlds and magic characters
e.g. The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien)
+ Internet / textual description
+ Online community
+ Simultaneous interaction
(play with other at real time)
WHAT IS THE GAME ABOUT?
DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAR
_ world war
_ civic war
_ revolution
_ battles and combats

11. MUD MULTI-PLAYER-DOMAINS / DUNGEOS
“people express and explore
unexplored aspects of
themselves playing with their
identities”
Sherry Turkle, 1995
_ COMPUTER SCREEN
PEOPLE PROJECTION
ANONYMOUS INTERACTION
you are who you pretend to be
_ CREATION OF IDENTITY
+ Creation of characters
+ Physical attributes
+ Psychological attributes

12. ONLINE IDENTITY THINKING ABOUT IDENTITY
HUMAN IDENTITY WITHIN
TECHNOLOGICAL
SPACES
+ Technology changes people's mind
and human perceptions (reality)
+ Immaterial space of interactions
+ Space where people
can feel more comfortable
(use anonymity)
COMPUTER SCREEN
AND IDENTITY
the space of human fantasies
where we project our-selves

13. ONLINE IDENTITY THINKING ABOUT IDENTITY
AVATAR: DIGITAL IDENTITY
SELF- REPRESENTATION IN
ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
_ ONLINE, PLAYERS CAN
+ Edit their self-presentation
+ Perform an identity different to the
real self
+ Choose a role that make them
feel comfortable
+ Play different identities
_ IDENTITY
CUSTOMIZATION
Digital attributes: embodiment
+ Dreams
+ Emotions
+ Fears

14. ONLINE IDENTITY THINKING ABOUT IDENTITY
AVATAR: DIGITAL IDENTITY
SELF- REPRESENTATION IN
ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
_ MULTIPLE AVATARS
_ MULTIPLE ROLES
_ MULTIPLE IDENTITIES

15. ONLINEFOR CHILE
A ROOF IDENTITY THINKING ABOUT IDENTITY
ABOUT ITS HISTORY
SELF- REPRESENTATION IN ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
MULTIPLE AVATARS + MULTIPLE ROLES = MULTIPLE IDENTITIES

16. ONLINEFOR CHILE
A ROOF IDENTITY THINKING ABOUT IDENTITY
ABOUT ITS HISTORY
SELF- REPRESENTATION IN ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES AND SOCIAL EVENTS

17. ROMANTIC MACHINES?
_ PROXIMITY
PEOPLE / TECHNOLOGY
Computers have become closer
to people and people have
become closer to computers
_ COEXISTANCE
People IS coexisting with machines
psychological / physiological
effects
MACHINES CAN THINK?
ARE MACHINES ALIVE?

18. ROMANTIC MACHINES?
ARE PEOPLE LIKE
MACHINES?
_ GENETIC
REENGINEERING
Deciphering a code (DNA)
_ THE HUMAN GENOME
PROJECT allow to identify
DNA and the role in of each gene
_ DNA: RESPONSIBLE OF
PERSONALITY
Temperament
Physical appearance
Sexual orientation
HUMAN BEINGS ARE MACHINES?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO REPROGRAM AN
HUMAN BEING?

19. ONLINE
IDENTITY
THE ARTIFICIAL EXTENSION OF OURSELVES ON THE SCREEN
Turkle, S. 2005. The second self: computers and the human spirit. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Turkle, S. 2004. Wither psicoanálisis in computer culture. In Kaplan D. Reading in the philosopy of
technology. 2004. Lanham: Romwman & Littlefield Publishers.
Turkle, S. 2001. Who am we. In Trend, D. Reading digital cultures. 2001. Massachussets: Blackwell
Publisher Ltd.
Turkle, S. 1995. Life on the screen: identity in the age of the Internet. New York: Touchstone.
Waggoner, Z. 2009. My avatar, my self: identity in video role-playing games. Jefferson: McFarland.
Winder, D. 2008. Being virtual: who you really are online. London: John Willey & Sons Ltd.

20. ONLINE
IDENTITY
THE ARTIFICIAL EXTENSION OF OURSELVES ON THE SCREEN
HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED ROLE-PLAYING GAMES?
HOW MANY VERSIONS OF “YOURSELF” HAVE YOU GOT ONLINE?
WHO YOU ARE ONLINE?