Online Identity

Social networking allows you to create your own online identity.  Social networking sites allow you to customize your page to match your personality.  Options would include blog postings, pictures, survey’s, quiz’s, layout, information displayed, and graphics.  People make assumptions according to these things.  For example the way we typed our description may cause people to stereotype who we are.  If my description read, “I enjoy reading because I love to learn”, you are going to assume I am educated.  If my description read, “reading is da bomb dat’s y I do it”,  one may think that I am uneducated because I can’t speak proper english.  Or one may conclude that I am immature and young for talking in child slang.  Think about when you look at someone’s facebook pictures.  Immediately from the images you begin to draw conclusions about this person.  For example if someone is in the picture drinking we would assume they are a partier.   If a girl or guy is in the picture barely dressed we might assume they are permiscious.  Even other people who we communicate with can reflect upon us.  Although, it is good to be open minded and try to accept people who may be different from us, people often still do not like or are afraid of people who do  not conform to the social norm.  Therefore, people may be reluctant to be your friend based on those who you associate with.  All these same assumptions are made by schools and employers when researching prospective individuals.  This is because everything we place on the internet can be seen by everyone.  Therefore, why would we possibly want to create a persona reflecting poorly upon out image?  Maybe because the internet is almost a seperate world of it’s own.  It allows us to be who ever we want to be and this is theriputic to those who are insecure with themselves.  However, these individuals must realize this fantasy persona probabaly will be taken serious and judged by those who view it.  So think twice the next time before posting something online.  Think about how others may percieve that image or comment.