After a lot of reading, I finalised the topic “The Digitalisation of Humanity: How Virtual Worlds and Technology Lead to the Dissolution of Personal Identity“
After finalising my topic, I began framing a key research question that captures what I want to explore:
How does the increasing immersion in virtual worlds and digital technologies contribute to the dissolution of personal identity, where individuals may eventually identify exclusively with their digital selves?
This topic feels especially relevant right now, as digital spaces continue to blur the line between what’s real and what’s constructed. With so much of our identity being expressed—and even experienced—online, I want to critically examine how our sense of self might be shifting, dissolving, or being redefined in these spaces.
The key research areas I will be looking into are:
1. Philosophy of the Self in the Digital Age
What does “self” even mean in a world where it can be split, edited, or simulated?
→ Is our digital self an expansion of who we are, or is it a loss of the “real” self?
2. Digital Identity Construction
I will then explore how people build, project, and live through virtual selves on social media, in gaming, or in VR.
→ How do we curate, edit, and perform our identities online? Are these still authentic representations of who we are, or are they entirely constructed?
→ What happens when our digital selves start feeling more “true” than our offline selves?
3. Virtual Embodiment and Presence
I want to look at how we “become” our avatars or digital selves in immersive environments like VR or online games.
→ How do we embody these digital representations of ourselves? And what happens when the boundary between the user and the avatar breaks down?
→ Does this create a sense of disconnection from our physical bodies?
4. Psychological Impacts of Immersion
Then I’ll be looking at how deep digital engagement affects how we perceive ourselves, our mental health, and our self-worth.
→ This includes things like digital dissociation, online disinhibition, and how constant virtual interaction can fragment our sense of self.
→ Also, how does emotional dependence on digital validation (likes, followers, avatars) affect our mental state?
5. Future of Identity & Digitalisation
Finally, I’ll speculate on where this is all heading: What happens to human identity in a world dominated by AI, virtual environments, and neural integration?
→ Are we moving toward a post-physical, fully digitized version of selfhood? How will this shape who we are in the future? Will we identify solely as our digital selves losing any sense of self identity?
I think this topic is super relevant right now, especially as we move closer to fully immersive digital lives. The question isn’t just how we use technology—but how it’s shaping the very core of who we are.