Your Digital Alter Ego - The Superhero/Villain You (Never) Wanted Transcending Space and Time?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2020.102543Get rights and content
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Abstract

This article explores the dynamic bodies of information taken through surveillance, or what I call our “digital alter egos” as superheroes/villains. It highlights our digital alter ego’s flair for institutional intertextuality and provides a framework for understanding our digital data. While the superhero may not be the first thing someone thinks about when talking about surveillance and information, the “digital alter ego” provides a memorable heuristic to understand contemporary surveillance practices.

Keywords

Surveillance
Data bodies
Digitial bodies
Identity
Myth
Superheroes, comics

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Sarah Young is a LEaDing Fellow’s Postdoc at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She researches surveillance, information, writing, digital identities, and technical communication.

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Present address: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Department of Media & Communication, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, 3062 PA Rotterdam, Netherlands.