Sirs' Question

An identity is defined as "identity is the conception, qualities, beliefs, and expressions that make a person (self-identity) or group (such as national identity and cultural identity) different from others" on Wikipedia, we can argue what identity means and how is it created for the individuals. 

According to David Gauntlett, for modern society “Having an identity is a known requirement”. One of the ways we can create identity is through the media. People has always created their identity through media as being fans of a band or a YouTuber. Gauntlett agrees that media has a role to play in this process of creating an identity. 

Identity can be created by our selves or imposed by outsiders.  For example, identity can be created by ourselves on the internet by posting various things such as images or videos that help towards creating a certain identity. For example, if you define yourself as being healthy and fit, you may post images or fitness videos created by yourself so others who will witness these posts will see you as a healthy, well-being person. How healthy and fit you want to portrait yourself is up to how much of posts you create. This can be shown via YouTube videos and regular updated blogs.

Also identity can be imposed by the outsiders through media, such as newspapers, if they print off an article about teenagers being anti-social, this creates an identity for all teenagers, as being anti-social and a negative stereotype. This has occurred millions of times, for example, during the 60's, when the Mods and the Rockers had fought on the coast of Brighton Beach, the Daily Mirror titled the event as "Wild Ones 'Beat Up' Margate". This heading creates an identity for the men involved as "Wild Ones".

Another example can be an article which was titled "Teenagers caught with large hunting knives and drugs" by Manchester Evening News. Which creates an identity for teen being violent and most do drugs.

Another way how you can create an identity through media text is when you are making an account for a social app. For example, when you are creating an account with Instagram, you have to have your own username, pass word and also a profile picture. Now, you have the choice of what kind of username to create. Given as an example, if you are vegan and have an interest in animal equality, you may create your username as being "AnnaTheVeganGirl" which will create an identity as you being "vegan", because it is in your user name. Also, what you post through this account will have similarites, linked with your username, so may posts vegan food and spending time with animal. 

Thomas De Zengotita says that almost everything we experience or learn in via the media in some way. For example, with the film "Attack the Block" I have watched recently, the film includes teenage boys who all lives in a council estate and fights off aliens. Throughout the film, we see a women who is firigtened by the boys behaviour as at first, she was a victim of being robbed by the boys. The boys use "slang" language such as "innit" and "doe" instead of though which we all experince every know and then. However, we later discover that the boys are not as how they seem, they become heroic characters.