It would be obscenely naïve to believe that every character on the internet matches a real person. Of course, the faces of online deception are the creepy chat room predator and the gifted-but-dangerous hacker. Although these shady figures undoubtedly lurk on the net, media sensationalism has turned their minority status into the fear dominant in the eyes of many (an perhaps not wrongly so). However, there is a more innocuous side to the virtual half-truths that is most often overlooked.
Fictional online persona aren't as uncommon as many web users would like to believe. Some people choose to hide personal information out of sensible paranoia of less-than-friendly onlookers, assuming a false identity in order to protect themselves. Many more, though don't act on such practicality, but rather on insecurity. To someone unhappy about who he is, how he looks, or how he lives, the opportunity to hide imperfections behind a computer screen is quite enticing. In a sense, everyone falls victim to this phenomenon, even if it only entails a slightly different self-presentation online.
Then the question becomes this: what constitutes reality? Is the "real" individual the censored, id-controlled physical being or the less restrained, digital persona fully aware of the inconsequentiality of his actions? All lies aside, it would seem to me that the personality presented online is closer to the true will of a person.
And now, the conclusion that everyone expects: is this good or bad for society? I say, you decide. I'm here to present the paradox, so now it's your turn to put some thought into it.
What, you didn't think I'd let you off that easily, did you?
Jen
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Are you getting this from something you read or a statistic you've seen about this, or are you just going off of your own perceptions?
General perceptions. If I were more proactive, I probably should have included stats. As a perception, I probably should have at least included anecdotes. But I haven't seen any material on it, so it wasn't just regurgitated.
A weak piece, but it's an interesting concept.
Why do you ask, though?
Is the "real" individual the censored, id-controlled physical being or the less restrained, digital persona fully aware of the inconsequentiality of his actions?
Depends on how the individual uses his or her "persona."
For example, there are people like me who think before they type (which is exactly what i'm doing right now). Instead of me stumbling on my words, stuttering, or repeating the words "like" or "um" like I usually would if I were really talking to you right now, I get to delete, fix my spelling errors, and choose my words carefully -- basically getting a chance to edit what i'm going to say before actually saying anything at all. This could not happen if I were talking to you on the phone or in person. These are the people that censor their words and control what they are going to say before letting anyone else see what they had typed.
Then you have the "less restrained" digital persona. There are so many people out there that become so wrapped up in the internet world that they become their persona in real life. Like bloggers for example -- some post way too much personal information about themselves .. and if they lie about who they are or put up a certain "persona" they usually take on what people expect them to be. And of course you have those people who have no restraint or control over what they type or say to people on the internet -- they feel like they won't have to suffer any consequences or have any need to feel remorse since it is, after all, the internet and nothing can happen to them here.
I feel that one can only get a feel of a person's "real" identity in person and talking face-to-face. That's just my personal opinion though because I feel that talking to someone face-to-face shows much more (such as mannerisms, the way the person speaks or articulates, eye-contact, etc.) than what typed words can. Then again, some people articulate themselves much better on the internet than in real life.
Interesting blog though.
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"No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it." -- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.