On 10 November, a panel discussed the theme of personal identity as part of the first instalment of this year’s Sheldonian Series. This termly public event, which is now in its third year, is convened by the University of Oxford’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey. It aims to explore a broad theme over the course of the year, with identity taking centre stage in 2026. Previous themes have included democracy, life and others. Later this year, there will be similar discussions in Hilary and Trinity terms on national and cultural identity respectively.

The discussion was moderated by Professor Lady Sue Black, a world-leading forensic scientist and the President of St John’s College. The panel consisted of three speakers. Catrin Nye is an award-winning investigative journalist at the BBC who has won plaudits for her longform podcast series, and documentaries like “A Very British Cult”. Emma Dabiri is an Irish writer, broadcaster and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Jon Harvey is a comedy writer and performer, best known for being the man behind “Count Binface”, a perennial satirical parliamentary candidate who recently made global headlines for finishing second behind Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election in August 2026.

Black began by asking the panelists what it means to be oneself in this digital world, and to what extent their digital persona is reflective of their true selves. Nye claimed that her “online persona is a part of [her] but it is only one part of [her].” She also believed that there are certain parts of one’s life that should always be kept out of the digital sphere, such as one’s partner, children and friends. 

Harvey noted the changing social media landscape, and its transformation from a “playground” to something more dangerous and sinister. He also noted the dangers of overexposing one’s personal life, as he stated that family pictures from his personal social media accounts were used by the Daily Mail and Cosmopolitan Magazine in articles after he reached national prominence. 

Dabiri lamented the “unrecognisable” state of social media in the current age. She also stated that she is limiting her usage to avoid the feelings of being in a “gladiatorial arena” and that increasingly, X (formerly known as Twitter) is not the right platform for important sociopolitical conversations.

Black asked the panel whether they believed that putting themselves in the public sphere means they should have to accept criticism and trolling. Dabiri said that while the sharing of opinions is natural and should be encouraged, platforms fail to filter out extreme viewpoints. 

Harvey said that social media companies should be viewed as a publisher rather than a platform and therefore be held responsible for what appears on their sites.

The panelists also touched on the role of AI and powerful algorithms in changing the general public’s ability to process information. Nye argued that consumers of short-form content want to see personality from creators, while those who enjoy long-form content are more interested in its substance. 

On the rise of AI, while Nye recognised the positive impacts it has for small businesses, the panel unanimously feared the loss in critical thinking skills it has caused, with Nye touching on its “short-term solutions and long-term problems”.