Independent University Newspaper
Copenhagen Business School

Popular searches:

Independent University Newspaper

Copenhagen Business School

In the minds of digital users, who are you?

Portrait of man

(Photo by Anna Holte)

Blog |   15. Dec 2020

Morten Levinsen

Blogger

My days with a stalker were as you would imagine.

He followed my routine alone in a bedroom in Copenhagen as the bright summer evenings stretched far into darkness. In the late-night hours, the only light in the room came from the glow from his Marlboro cigarettes and his blue-tinted computer screen. A short moment of silence broken by a slurp from a cup of black coffee, and then mouse and keyboard noises continue clicking away through known and unexplored corners of the internet. In the dark room, he’s noting down everything he finds. Comprehensive notes. He needs them to complete his mission. And his next step is to write detailed portraits of his five chosen ‘victims’.

The stalker in the bedroom is my buddy Oliver. Even though he is used to being a stalker, he’s not a creep. Actually, his stalking was prearranged. Stalking with consent if you like. And his mission was formal. It was his master’s thesis at CBS. He was stalking to answer a question that has also been on my mind for some time: Who are we in the minds of digital users?

I meet with Oliver at a café in Nørrebro. He looks too wide awake to still be living the life of a  stalker. I’ve read a resume of his thesis, and I know we’ll both benefit from this meeting. It’s a chance for me to learn more about digital identity and a chance for him to share some of his knowledge and expertise. Isn’t that what democracy is all about? Sharing knowledge and opinions?

More about democracy later. Our conversation starts with other questions, and we quickly agree on one thing: A part of our modern human identity is digital. This becomes clear when you google yourself to see what information others can access about you.

In the dark hours, Oliver became sure of one thing: In the physical and digital worlds, people are hiding different parts of their person

It raises some questions: In the minds of digital users, who are we? How is the digital universe presenting us? And most importantly, what societal consequences does this image have?

In the dark hours, Oliver became sure of one thing: In the physical and digital worlds, people are hiding different parts of their person, depending on the context of the various forums we visit. We hide some aspects of ourselves when we go to work. Just as we hide parts of ourselves on LinkedIn and Instagram. It’s a game of hide and seek we have all agreed to play. But Oliver has realized something important here. Unlike the physical world, the digital universe does not discriminate. Digital information is universally accessible. Big Brother is watching. And even more so, Big Brother remembers you. He tracks your activities in all your forums at the same time. Always and for all eternity. In the digital version of hide and seek, you run the constant risk of being revealed.

Revealed how? Maybe by an old picture on Facebook showing your party persona to your colleagues. Or maybe an opinion piece that, over the years, ages less than gracefully, showing you in a clumsy light, just like middle-aged men reflected in the eyes of today’s radical feminists. Maybe you will never be revealed. Maybe you will be revealed tomorrow. Maybe in ten years.

The possible public unveiling sets impossible expectations. We must always be ready to accept not only who we are, but also who we used to be. Will you be able to account for all your actions today in ten years’ time? Of course not. And when we realized that, we stopped posting ridiculous pictures of our friends on Facebook to celebrate their birthdays. At least, it cannot be because we ran out of pictures…

The young generation are especially aware of digital identities. That’s why we’re less and less publicly visible on digital media. It’s my parents’ generation who are active in the comments section on Facebook. Not that the young have no digital presence. We are just learning to be present in a way that leaves as little public trace as possible. My friends and I are afraid of being revealed. And so we continue playing hide and seek, showing nothing.

Many of my closest friends do not even dare to participate in Facebook threads

Ironically, one friend is a member of a recognized debate and school of criticism and theory but won’t have his opinion printed in even the smallest opinion-based media. Not because his opinions are radical, but because he fears minimizing his possible job opportunities.

Many of my closest friends do not even dare to participate in Facebook threads. They too are afraid of being revealed out of context (not to mention the brutal language and tone used online). Healthy and normal people are afraid of their own opinions. They do not dare to take part in what the internet was invented for: Sharing information, freedom of speech and democracy.

This serious democratic problem leaves a silent generation for whom mainstream communities are the only place to let off steam. It leaves youths afraid of sharing individual opinions. Youths trapped in the digital world. Too afraid to set themselves free with real political activity. Youths showing symptoms of implosion!

Sigh. Because the digital universe presents us in this light, the fear of being revealed as clumsy, insufficient or vulnerable is holding the majority of a young generation captive in passivity. Freedom of speech, which usually defines the Western world, looks more and more like a symbolic term from the past. Hopefully, soon we will realize that freedom is not secured as a written right, but when we produce it together. Shouldn’t we act freely and dare to explore freedom now that we’ve created it?

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

In the minds of digital users, who are you?by

  • Blog

    Uncertain times: Essential for business schools to understand their market

    The alliance of European business schools met at CBS in June to enhance recruitment strategies, stay informed on industry trends, and analyse where the global economy is heading. The CBS MBA Programmes shares some key take-aways from Associate Dean and Professor Jesper Rangvid’s presentation.

  • News

    Working hard all summer: Bachelor Admissions

    The employees in charge of bachelor admissions at CBS are a small exclusive team. They ensure the validity of diplomas and the fulfilment of entry requirements for bachelor’s degrees at CBS – and, not least, that the applicants get the necessary help to upload the right documentation and find their way around the application procedures.

  • News

    Union reps want transparency about redundancy packages

    The unions are hoping for a fair process – and the AC club is calling for transparency about redundancy packages. Academic union representatives expect that actual dismissals can be avoided among faculty members, whereas administrative staff are expecting layoffs.

  • Gif of the week
  • News

    Snapshots: CBS staff busy preparing for a new semester

    For the staff at CBS, the weeks and sometimes even months leading up to study start are spent busily preparing for new and returning students and a brand-new semester.

  • Guide

    Those odd little words

    Some words of advice from CBS WIRE’s proofreader Helen Dyrbye, a British expat who has lived in Denmark for decades. Here she explains a few tiny words that can occasionally spell BIG trouble.

  • News

    Community is key for study start 2023

    This year, showing both new and returning students the concept of ‘community’ at CBS is a top priority. There is room for everyone, and you can find others that share the same interests as you. Those are the key messages from the Student Communications team. This is highlighted by two campaigns, during the introduction week and at the Bachelor Kick Off.

  • News

    CBS at Copenhagen Pride – in photos

    2023 is the first year for the new organisation Colorful CBS to organise the participation in Copenhagen Pride Parade.

Follow CBS students studying abroad

CBS WIRE collaborates with Videnskab.dk

Stay connected

Close