From We-media to I-media: identity transformations in the virtual world

The blogs as the platform for a virtual personality construction are considered in the article on the assumption of the positions of Lev S. Vygotskys cultural-historical approach. Internet journalism practices are considered as the example for the processes of virtual I formation. The authors affi rm that the appearance of consecutive and stable I-representation in Internet is the necessary condition for a change in dynamics of social nets development from motives which are out of Internet in physical space towards situation when a virtual personality is enough full-fl edged to be a motive for new social interactions creation not leaving Internet. As a result a virtual personality turns into a net-creating factor and Internet loses its unoriginality in relation to physical space. Using Lev Vygotskys internal speech concept, the article suggests to consider this interaction as a dairy discourse — A dialog of internal voices, which turns a virtual personality from the product of self representation into the product of social interaction. The authors affi rm that the ability to construct a virtual personality is the integral part for personality formation in the new information society and propose to regard journalism practices as one of the methods of eff ective self representation in Internet.

blogs, cultural-historical psychology, Internet journalism, social media, social nets, virtual personality