What is the main idea of the article "social identity and the internet" by Sarah parker article: Identity can be defined in many different ways. In general, a person’s identity is what makes that person different from other people. However, identity can also be influenced by others. Someone who is a member of a larger group may begin to think or feel like other people in that group. This type of influence is known as social identification. Social identification is the process of a defining oneself by characteristics shared with other people (Deaux). To develop a clear social identity, a person must understand the characteristics of other members in a group. A person doesn’t need to have a relationship with every member to identify with the group. Instead, a person can identify with a group because he or she shares many of the same features as other members in that group (Deaux). These features are parts of a person’s identity that have developed over a period of time.

Social identity is also increasingly formed as a result of Internet use. The Internet provides people with a way of connecting to groups that they may not have been able to connect to 10 or 20 years ago. “Just as streets and neighborhoods created networks in the pre-information age, the Internet creates networks among individuals in the information age” (Molony). A network is a group or system of connected people or things (Merriam-Webster). The Internet creates a network of individuals all over the world. People form groups and interact, or communicate, based on similar beliefs and interests. In this way, the Internet can help develop a person’s social identity.

Being able to really identify with other members of a group over the Internet may be difficult. When people communicate through the Internet, they can decide which of their characteristics they want to share with others. There are many reasons why people may choose to share only certain characteristics. They may choose to share only the characteristics that they think other people will like. Or they may want others to think that they know a lot about a subject, so they only share information that shows their knowledge (Dennen).

Regardless of the reasons, the identity people create online may not include all of their characteristics. For this reason, it’s difficult to get a true sense of someone’s social identity over the Internet. Someone may think they have a lot in common with another person online when they first meet. However, they may only be learning about a few of their new friend’s characteristics. In this way, the Internet may cause complications for creating a social identity.