THE MULTI-LAYERED STRUCTURE OF PERSONAL IDENTITY

The article examines the complex nature of personal identity, which is shaped through the interaction of an individual with their internal and external worlds. Identity is viewed as a dynamic and multi-layered concept that takes into accounts both individual experiences and external social factors. Special attention is given to the role of communication, including autocommunication, in the process of creating and maintaining identity. Communication plays a key role in the structure of the human «self», serving as a mediator between the individual's inner world and their social environment. One of the central questions of the study is the impact of social interactions on the formation of both personal and collective identifications. Through interactions with others, individuals constantly reassess and adjust their self-identification, which accounts for the fluidity and variability of identity. With the development of modern technologies, the ways of constructing identity are undergoing significant changes and becoming increasingly complex. New digital environments offer new mechanisms for self-presentation and interaction, transforming the traditional models of self-perception and the perception of others. Nonetheless, despite the rapid advancement of information technologies, self-perception remains a key factor in shaping an individual's coherent identity. Keywords: identity, virtual reality, social interaction, communication, self-communication.