The turn of the digital identity: from the protean self to the identified self

In this article, we present a theoretically discussion about the different discourses in the literature about Digital Media and their impact on the construction of our identities. At first, it is examined the initial work of psychologist Sherry Turkle, compared with her recent books where ends by fetishize the pre-digital culture. We discuss her concept of "Protean Self", in the cyberspace like the Proteus god will have multiple and fragmented identities. But this idea becomes a myth if we adopt a perspective that considers the multiple factors that affect the social construction of identity. Second, we examine the increasing traceability and surveillance of people thanks to the massive data generated by digital platforms. This development could lead us to fetishize the digital culture and invert the myth to a totally identified Self, in which the identity of a person is fully associated with their digital data. Finally, both myths presents particular attributions of authenticity, revealing how malleable and contingent this concept becomes in the development of digital media.