University of Hertfordshire - Studying our virtual selves

A philosopher at the University of Hertfordshire is leading a two-year investigation into how people present themselves in the virtual world. The study, which will take place on the university's Second Life campus, will explore how people reinvent themselves online. It is hoped that the project will help people to understand how to be ethically responsible online in an age when we increasingly live in digital environments. "Personal identities online can be created and developed to enrich our experiences," said researcher Luciano Floridi. "However, they can also be misconstrued, stolen, abused or cause disengagement with the actual world and real people."