Sociological Studies Taster Session

Who are you when you use the internet? Do you have a different identity, maybe using a nickname, or are you your most “authentic”, “real" self? And what does it actually mean to be “authentic”, anyway?

In this taster session, students will get a glimpse of what it’s like to take a class called Digital Identities at the University of Sheffield. Students will learn about three of the main ways people can present their identities online: anonymously, pseudonymously, and by using their real names. Students will be introduced to some of the earliest internet studies research, along with the more recent push from social media companies for users to go by their “real" (i.e., legal) names (for example, Facebook’s authentic names policy). Crucially, students will leave the session with a deeper understanding of the value and politics of naming online.