With the proliferation of social media, we are increasingly engaged in identity work, that is, the forming, repairing, maintaining and revising our sense of self-worth and personal significance. The key question that this talk will seek to answer is "how are social media shaping our identities, that is, who we are and who we can become?" I will draw on insights from my research into identity work in the social virtual world Second Life to answer this question.

Ulrike Schultze is Associate Professor in Information Technology and Operations Management at Southern Methodist University. Her research explores the impact of information technology on work practices. She has studied the work practice implications of knowledge management technology and of Internet-based self-service technology. Most recently, she has been focusing on the implications of social media technologies, specifically the virtual world Second Life, for identity work. Dr. Schultze frequently relies on multi-method research designs, which include ethnographic observations, interviews and surveys.
During her tenure at SMU, Dr. Schultze has taught a variety of classes in the BBA, MBA, MSA and MSBA programs. Dr. Schultze holds a Bachelors’ and Masters’ degree in Information Systems from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She earned her PhD in Management, with a concentration in Information Systems, from Case Western Reserve University.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx