200 words are less – you are amazed and impressed – I know. ;)
Ok so if you are at all interested I read a REALLY interesting article called, “Identity, Social Networking and Online Communication” by Guy Merchant. It raised the questions in MY mind, “how many identities do I have online?” OHMYWOW! Australiandaisy vs Kerilynn – I’m the same person – or am I? Well for those of you who know me personally (haha! if you read this blog – you sooooo know me personally) – let me restate. For those of you who have seen me in person you know that I am not much different from my blogging self. HOWEVER I have spoken with other bloggers who are VERY different than their online identities. And this begs the question, (and the article explores) are these alternate identities new identities created by our online communities? or are these new identities just a glimmer at what is beneath our surface, or in other words, has the digital world merely exposed or helped to expose our alternate core identities?
A mind bender which could be argued both ways no doubt!
@thisisScoman from A Name in Your Recollection says his main form of interaction is online. I can’t imagine that his MAIN form of interaction is just a “hidden” or “false” representation of who he is. No no – his identity and online involvement help to define his identity and since DIGITAL is his primary form of communication then maybe it’s reality/social engagements that expose his “alternate identities” if he has any that is .
Online or not your identity is your identity. YOU define it. And he uses online interaction MORE than physical interaction (though arguably isn’t typing on a computer physical?) and so suggesting that online identities are created and NEW would suggest that his online identity and his daily interactions via his online communities may not be as “real”???? I think not and I agree with his comments on the previous posts. I think we’ve reached a point in life where our online identities cannot be separated from our core identities. They are linked and can be one in the same.
AAANNNDDD since I’m generous and because I know you aren’t actually going to read the article that I so kindly ;) researched AND LINKED for you, I’ll give you a brief summary. The article suggests that we not focus on the argument of NEW identities versus UNSEEN identities and instead look at HOW online communities offer the ability to narrate or create a self identity and how the process of forging that identity outside of the digital world is important.
How has your personal online identity been constructed over time? I can tell you that mine started out as a mySpace girl (HAHAHAHA! Yes I totally shook it on stage at the mySpace parties in Utah) and it eventually moved to AustralianDaisy and is now moving into Daisy/Kerilynn. My mySpace identity was fun and I posted lots of hot pics. But those pics were for mySpace ONLY!! My facebook identity was much more reserved and formal. HAHA! But it was still ALL ME. :)
Now I’m just blah blah boring and tend to err on the side of caution rather than risqué. Aw – how precious – Daisy is maturing!! :)
Then and now :)
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- akon party
You’re not boring & erring on the side of caution isn’t so bad, it sometimes helps us make wiser choices in our lives! Just think if you were to do something terrible right now that would land you in a bad situation & also required you to return home….would you be mad at yourself for what you did?! Hell yeah you would! We’re just…growing up. *VOMIT* LOL
So is what is it we are to think? Is our “real” identify only a facade that life makes us wear to protect our true identity from the risk of pain? Well of course it is. And our on-line identity is a morph of of our true self. The pendulum does swing both ways and normal people are right smack dab in the middle protected from risk while dreaming of a fantasy somewhere else.
How do we find our true identity? Facade must be stripped with trust and fantasy tempered by physical encounter.
I just noticed that the on-line community has identified me as a green Jell-o, amoebic blob with weird eyes, an angry mouth and five hairs. It is my hope that I will not be judged by the icon that has been assigned me.
I am not green. Yes there are parts of me that resemble the blob but less “blobby” than a year ago. I do have an eye that will/could wonder under the right circumstances and I once had more hair but an angry mouth?
How will you ever know? Hmmmmm……..
I think it’s funny that the article talks about the same thing I was learning about in economics.. with the whole “local vs global” thing. I didn’t read the whole article. Just 4 pages so far. I might return for more after dinner.
Anyhooooo I think I do have a different identity online to what I do in the real world. Just like I have a different identity at work to what I have with my family. Just like I have a different identity with one set of friends to what I do with the other.
Maybe that’s why I don’t like social interaction. It’s so tiring putting on all these different masks.
Thanks for the link to the article! Can’t wait to read it this weekend when I finally have some time to myself. I definitely think online identities allow for editing, etc. of the self or for more exposure of certain characteristics that you may not share offline freely… really dependent on the individual in my opinion.