There are a ton of young teenagers out there who find the need to portray themselves in a different way online than they do offline. I think this gets to be complicated because it can be a misconception as to who the person really is and what they are really like.
I think these kids need t be told that there are other things to use as an outlet than an alter online identity. I think these alter identities not only and be misleading but they could also lead to trouble.
Therefore, kids need to be aware of what they are doing online and need to be care with how they are portraying themselves. They need to not get carried away to the point of forming somewhat of a new identity for themselves.
My online identity is actually pretty different from my IRL identity, though that's because I censor myself online. You never know what kind of person is responsible for signing your future checks, but they all creep on your stuff.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Juan. A lot of my online information is private. This is also because people are capable of stalking others online and making assumptions of the person by what is posted online and I do not feel that is appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with this. I feel like many teenagers and some young adults have created these online profiles as a way to redefine who they are. It is like the more comments, posts, statuses and pictures they have the more "credability" and "popularity" they have as an individual. I think it's pretty rediculous personally. They really aren't proving a point to me. I would much rather be who I am online and offline rather than making up some new identity just to impress people online.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I agree with Nicole. The act of filtering your online identity seems to defeat the purpose. If you're not going to accurately depict who you are, why bother having an online identity? If we all tailored our facebooks to please our employers, everyone would be an advertisement. A pawn. Just be yourself, right?
ReplyDeleteI definitely have to agree with all of this. It's pretty ironic that the argument in favor of social networks is always the need and "basic human right" to express oneself freely and openly. Despite this, we are constantly seeing people portraying themselves as something completely different from how they are in real life. Seems pretty counterproductive to create an entirely new online image in hopes of expressing yourself.
ReplyDeleteI found it hard to even determine whether I am exactly the same person online as I am offline. Not sure where the line is drawn. Though many may think they can, I'm sure more people can't draw the same line easily. In reality, real life doesn't translate the same online and in 140 character. Different activities take place in different mediums and so its hard to determine who you are on and offline and where the line is drawn.
ReplyDelete