DIGITAL IDENTITY AS A POSTMODERN CULTURAL PHENOMENON

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a theoretical understanding of digital identity as a multidimensional sociocultural phenomenon that is formed in the context of network society and platform media reality.
The methodological basis of the study is a set of theoretical approaches that allow digital identity to be viewed as a sociocultural and media-determined phenomenon. The study is theoretical and analytical in nature and is based on a combination of socio-philosophical, media-theoretical, and interpretative approaches. The key methodological guideline is the interpretative paradigm, within which identity is viewed not as an objectively given essence, but as a process of constructing meanings in social interaction. This approach allows us to analyze digital identity through the practices of self-presentation, communication, and symbolic interaction in the network environment.
The scientific novelty of the study lies in the integration of classical theories of identity (E. Goffman, J. Butler) with contemporary media-theoretical approaches (M. Castells, D. Boyd, S. Turkle, N. Coldry) to form a comprehensive analytical model of digital identity. The article substantiates the understanding of digital identity as a medially conditioned, performative, and fragmentary process that is reproduced through everyday digital practices. The proposed approach allows overcoming the fragmentation of existing studies and combining macro- and micro-levels of digital identity analysis. Thus, the methodological basis of the study is synthetic in nature and combines the micro level of everyday digital practices with the macro level of social and media structures. This provides a holistic theoretical understanding of digital identity in the context of platform culture.
Conclusions. Thus, digital identity is a complex sociocultural phenomenon formed at the intersection of technology, communication, and self-presentation. Its mediality, constructability, fragmentarity, publicity, and performativity testify to profound transformations in the ways of understanding personality in the digital age. In general, digital identity can be characterized as a dynamic, contextual, and media-driven construct that is formed at the intersection of personal strategies, social expectations, and technological conditions. It reflects deeper transformations in contemporary society related to digitalization, mediatization, and changing perceptions of the integrity and stability of the «I». The conclusions obtained provide a theoretical basis for further analysis of digital practices, mechanisms of self-presentation, and the influence of digital media on the formation of identity in the modern social space.