Who REALLY are you?

Do you wear the online mask?

In an increasingly digitally driven age, our personal online identities essentially shape the way we interact within our society; they are our own personal gateways to socialising, networking and they are how we put our ‘best foot forward’ so to speak in order to display ourselves in the best light. They can be quick and easy tools to inform friends and family about upcoming events, birthdays, or even who you’re in a relationship with. Having more than one identity makes logical sense, as it is almost impossible to distinguish all people by just one means or fit every individual into just one box, however my argument is not particularly in favour of this notion. Whilst my thoughts are based on the personal risks rather than the corporation-based ones that involve cookies and data sharing, I am still sceptical about the issues that arise from having multiple identities; anonymous ones in particular.

 

Once again, as claimed in my previous post about digital residents and visitors, purpose is the driving factor in whether or not having an online identity (particularly having several) can be an issue. For example, my LinkedIn profile will display my more academic based and professional attributes in aim of portraying myself as a good candidate to both employers and networkers, but my purpose for using more light-hearted apps like twitter or Instagram may be completely different and therefore I may come across differently. Parallel to this argument, an online Identity may not always be personal; several Facebook, Twitter or Instagram profiles may have a completely separate objective; they could be clothing boutiques, offer catering services or be celebrity fan pages where fanbases can interact, almost creating a sense of an ‘online community,’ similar to the views of Christopher Poole on his creation of the anonymity focused site ‘4Chan’. I have no doubt that the idea behind it is certainly interesting and that it can potentially be an engaging experience for those interested, however this notion that an online identity does not always have to comprise of pictures of my face and explicit details about the foods and films I like lends itself to some dangers. A wired article on ‘the online identity crisis’ points out that ‘there are very few situations where it is useful or even desirable to be anonymous outside of explicitly anti-social or criminal behaviour,’ and this is where I make my argument.

 

This freedom of expression can prove that online ‘no one knows you’re a dog’ as expressed by Krotsky and can often lead to unwarranted aggression through the confidence users feel when acting behind this ‘online mask’; almost like the frequently used term ‘twitter fingers’ as popularised by Drake of course. This open sense of anonymity creates a safety barrier that allows people to discretely abuse rights and subsequently become a masked online user that can now anonymously offend, oppress or even commit online identity fraud as a ‘catfish;’ as explored in the titular MTV Show, confirming the staggering claim made in a telegraph article written on 10 ways to protect your online identity that ‘every three seconds someone’s identity is stolen. From something as little as one anonymous dislike or abusive comment on a YouTubers video, to a large (and anonymous) hate- crime organisation forum of hundreds, the purpose of online identities when misused and abused can pose a particularly large threat to all, and unfortunately over time, the once harmless intention of the online community has been corrupted.

 

Sources:

The Guardian: Online identity – Is authenticity or anonymity more important? 

 

Wired – ‘The Online Identity Crisis’ 

Telegraph: 10 ways to protect your online identity

MTV Show: Catfish

{Just incase you wanted to hear it 🙂 – Drake ‘Back to Back}