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Identity is the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity. Individuals gain their individual identity through many varying factors of the environment and their genealogical structure. Like individuals identities are layered and complex, the formation of these identities is equally complex. There are numerous contributing factors, however a primary influence is social interaction and experiences. The online environment provides an alternate setting for this social interaction. It is also possible for a group of individuals to form a collective identity that a holistic representation of their tastes, culture or nationality.
Within this environment the practice of downloading and sharing music files is an indicator of the development of the identity of the user. Music alone can be seen as performing this role as various genres represent and reflect different meanings that an individuals understanding, enjoyment or dislike etc of it shows part of their personal identity as reflected in their distinct tastes.
This has been the case throughout social history that takes on new forms and meanings as society progresses. With the incorporation of filesharing technology into this progression, the expression and reflection if identity through music has changed. It enables the easy access to and ability to exchange music with others without the influence of external social practices and presumptions. A person’s identity is solely judged on their musical taste.
Users who take part in this interaction choose to download a song that they enjoy and identify with. This practice alone contributes to and evolves that persons personal identity. The ability to then share these downloads then becomes and external reflection and expression of that identity to other users who can evaluate that person via their musical selection.
The outward expression of identity through musical selection further enables the development of identity as these expressions, when mixed with those of other users, can create readily identifiable groups of like minded individuals. These individuals often develop complex systems of social interaction that assign and further develop already formed identity. Particular genres of music such as punk, rap or classical can be shared online between these like minded individuals contributing to the development of online communities , sub-culture or group identity.
Cooper and Harrison (2001) identified two types basic forms of participation in online participatory systems upon which their identity is based. The first is the citizen who contributes to the system by allowing others to download their music files. The second is the leech who is there simply to download other user files. Personal ranking within one of these categories can greatly influence social standing within the online system thus effecting personal identity much in the way social standing effects identity in offline life.
Musical styles can be representative of a particular country or society as many nations have a distinct form of music that represents their particular culture (Garratt 2004:p285). The use of filesharing technology enables individuals from a certain country easy access to their national music even if they are living abroad. This access via the Internet enables the maintenance of a national identity and the subsistence of a cultural bond despite distance.
See Also:
Cooper, J. and Harrison, D. (2001) “The social organisation of audio piracy on the Internet,�? in Media Culture and Society. Vol 23, pp. 71-89.
Garratt, J (2004) "Music and German National Identity" in Music & Letters. Oxford: May 2004 Vol 85, Iss2, pg285.
--Lara Cresser 22:23, 17 Oct 2005 (EST)
