Who ARE you?

"The only place I can be myself is online" -Vork from "The Guild"









John Suler's article "Identity Management in Cyberspace" tackles this very subject matter when it comes to alter ego's created in the anonymity of cyberspace. The fantasy world people create amongst various online communities, be it forums, games or chat lines. Recently an Asian couple were sentenced to prison for the negligent death of their newborn child due to starvation as a result of their online obsession with a game which ironically enough, involved raising a child. It's understandable how a person can find themselves a sense of freedom or disassociation from the daily drudgery of life, but to completely entrap yourself in multiple personalities...what cost does this have on their actual psyche? Does this allow for the development of positive attributes of ones personality or does it lead to acting out and negative behavior? The cloak of invisibility afforded by the Internet and it's long-reach into both deviant and positive groups. The influence which can be presented to those seeking validation or friendship can be a dangerous one. Suler's position concerning this is "Negative aspects of identity can be acted out or worked through. Positive aspects can be expressed and developed".

For some, this escape is all one feels they have available to them. The fear of actual interaction can be frightening to some in real life, but may quickly form a deeply emotional relationship through an online format. The problem with this is how much is this persona TRULY them and how much is a concoction which has been created and built up over time. Do the silent and passive-aggressive find themselves to be outgoing and carefree in their online universe? Can these online attributes change a person to become what they believe, or are they just living in a world of fantasy? It would seem easy to find a sense of belonging within certain online groups which may or may not be in their best interests such as terror/hate groups, pedo-bears or lumberjacks as they use cyberspace to entice those looking for a connection.

To me it seems as the technology becomes more prolific to people, the less need they may seek personal contact. Driving through neighborhoods, it seems terribly different from when I was growing up. There's no children running wild through the streets, hanging from trees or trying to ride their bikes/skateboards off ramps. They're all inside and I believe losing that summertime connection of interacting with other kids. Instead they have playgroups...a limited time frame after which they become enthralled in all things electronic. It's this time that I fear we're breeding a generation cut off from each other without the benefits of growing up without ever being in a fistfight, unrefereed ballgames and learning the hierarchy of life.

Cited:
Suler, J.R. (2002). Identity Management in Cyberspace.Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 4, 455-460