Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who explained human motivation through a pyramid structure with five segments, starting from the most essential needs going all the way up towards human wants. These segments focus on physiological needs at the very bottom, followed by safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.

The Physiological need is mainly focusing on essential things for human life such as breathing, food, water, etc. My personal digital experience in relation to this layer would be an ability to work remotely with internet access, as it ensures that I can fulfill my need for income. 

The second and third layers are focusing on health, employment, friendship, and family. As a full time Privacy Engineer, I can heavily relate with both of these layers. As my title says, the big emphasis is on security and privacy of sensitive information. For instance, implementing encryption protocols contributes to the protection of personally identifiable information, directly solving the needs for security in the digital world. It is needless to say that team collaboration plays a key role at any firm. This feeling of belonging gives a great satisfaction. Without it I would most likely not be able to perform on a high level day in day out.

The self-esteem layer talks about the human desire to be accepted.This is something heavily highlighted in today’s society. Younger generations have a craving for acceptance, so much so that they are willing to go to great lengths in order to achieve this. It is needless to say that social media has played a big role in it. This layer is in close relation to the third layer, hence leading to a similar experience in the digital world. The feeling of belonging to a team gives a great self-confidence and it plays a key role in an individual’s contribution to the team. 

Last, but not least, as Abraham put it, is self-actualization. This layer represents personal growth. Everyone in this World is unique and talented in different areas, and we all have a need to fulfill our talent, reach our full potential. I sympathize with this layer as I still see myself as a junior in the world of IT. During my second year at college, I joined a company and was assigned to work on a project for one of the FAANG companies. Hiring managers saw a potential in me, which effectively woke a desire in me to peak. I not only gave my best at work, but also started focusing on self-improvement outside of work. 

References

Simply Psychology. “Maslow’S Hierarchy of Needs.” Simply Psychology, 24 Jan. 2024, www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html 

MSEd, Kendra Cherry. “Biography of Abraham Maslow (1908-1970).” Verywell Mind, 14 Mar. 2023, www.verywellmind.com/biography-of-abraham-maslow-1908-1970-2795524