The article Extending the extended self in a digital world by Sheth and Solomon is an analysis of Russell Belk’s seminal paper on the extended self, particularly focusing on how the virtual world has affected the self of the consumers. The authors did not conduct any experiments or studies themselves, thus most of the paper is based of external research that adheres to the main subject. The authors found that three boundaries that used to exist in Belk’s paper have fused over the years with the advancement of networking technologies. They claim that there is no more boundary between the producer and the consumer that existed before, and that the consumer is more active in the decision making of the producer. Another view of the authors is that there is no more distinction between an online and an offline self, since people tend to exhibit the same social behavior in both worlds, as well as trying to unite the two worlds either through cosplaying or through virtual reality technologies. Lastly, as medical technology advances, more and more people undergo modifications of their bodies. The numerous surgeries that can replace missing limbs with robotic ones shatters the boundary that once existed between technology and body. Through all these changes, the modern consumer takes an active role in the creation of the product or service, and demands greater personalization than before. It has become far easier for the consumer to compare his or her choices and thus it affected their decision making. Lastly, since the consumers tend to share their preferences more openly through services like Facebook and Twitter, it has become more important to use those resources in research.
ex