Impact on Identity

• How does identity develop over the lifespan?

Identity changes over a lifetime because circumstances, social circles, and interests change over the course of a life time. We may slowly drift away from .people who we once identified with. According to James Marcia we can be in several states of identity. Just because a person is in the state of identity achievement, that doesn't necessarily mean that that person cannot go back to the state of identity moratorium. They can explore aspects of their identity at any point in their lives.

• How do modern children and adolescents differ from their predecessors?

One way that modern children differ from their predecessors is because of technology. Throughout history, those who have gone before pass skills and knowledge on to those who come after. Who then use it and pass it on to their progeny. With technology, oftentimes children are learning how to use it before adults and so they are teaching their predecessors knowledge and skills.

 

• How does technology impact the development of identity?

There are myriad ways in which technology can impact a developing identity. An individual who feels lost and alone may use technology to find a community that is same and welcoming that includes people in a similar situation or crisis. Rather than suppress that aspect of their identity, it may flourish in their new online community. We can find music that we would not have found otherwise or

• How does social media, in particular, impact the development of identity?

See my above answer, only apply it specifically to social media.

• How can we use technology to help students explore and express their identities?

We can expose our students to as much as we can. Let them decide for themselves what they like, dislike, who they connect with. I suppose caution and digital citizenship should be used and taught, but In my own life I have found out a lot about myself through finding things online that I didn't know existed. It has helped me to grow and to find my current identity.