The difference between your online and offline personalities.
This blog is a project for Study Unit MCS3953, University of Malta.
Hello again! I’m back with a second blog post. I would like to start off with two questions one could simply ask themselves on an everyday basis .. ‘Our habits define who we are, but how true is this for our digital habits?’ and ‘Are we the same online as offline?’
Your online person or personal brand is how the world perceives you on the internet. Since it is the web, you could technically create an all new personality for yourself (not recommended).
In the early days of the internet, it was probably safe to assume that our online behaviours did not reveal much about our real-world personas. Each online user had the ability to be who ever he or she chose to be. Each individual on the internet could pick and decide which characteristics of themselves were shared with others, which creates an environment where true thoughts and feelings can be expressed.
As the internet began to grow each day and has become such a great importance in our lives, we willingly give up anonymity and also the desire to mask our real identity online. Indeed, online activities are no longer separable from our real lives, but an integral part of it. Social networking changed the role of the internet. On more and more sites, a person’s offline identity is connected to their online actions. The majority spend over 30 hours a week online mostly devoted to social networking. Our online identity no longer reflects our true selves, but rather the person that we think friends, family and other people should see.
Even though we are greater than the history of our internet browser, it is most likely that our web searches and web page visits, emails and social media activity carry certain indications of our personality. In addition we can say that our media preferences and what we purchase online also point out elements of our personality. We can say that we have as many personalities as the number of situations we are in. For instance; what will you watch on Netflix, listen to on Spotify, or buy off Ebay?
There are drawbacks to every stance, and hurt that can be caused by those hiding in anonymity can be great, but is it enough to justify permanently linking the online self to the offline self? I would never defend or justify the hateful messages that are tossed around the internet without recourse, but I fear we as people may lose focus on what positives that a separate online self can bring.
I’m sure that every person has a secret that he or she wishes to keep to themselves and not let others know. What the anonymous internet does is give the person the tools to express themselves that is probably locked away in his or her office or bedroom. What a completely linked “anonymous” online and offline self does is force us back into our masks, constantly, 365 days a year. The human face is after all nothing more nor less than a mask. Without the ability to let our true selves breath, we just become suffocated masses, hoping not to offend a soul, and praying that family, friends, colleagues, and that cute person we met at a party “likes” or “comments” on our post (be it a picture or a status).
We are always very curious to know what people are doing and where people are every second of the day. Nowadays, the majority of teenagers and also us young adults are all the time posting and updating our followers with what we are up to.. for example through Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook. From online statuses, to posting pictures and recently to sending pictures that last 24 hours or even just a few seconds.
So now ask yourself.. Does your online persona match the real “you”?
Until next time,
Erika
