Essay On Virtual Identity

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Virtual Communities and Identities in the Digital Age Name: Institutional Affiliation: Virtual Communities and Identities in the Digital Age Introduction The digital age allows users to express the identity within social contexts such as virtual communities. While the exact definition varies depending on the platform, the essential social identities expressed online are more comprehensive and deliberate than the ones expressed in real life. This makes them complex representations of the real people behind the masks, and further complicates the legal and social processes involved. Social Capital and Disinhibition The social capital normally associated with non-virtual relationships has reduced dramatically as society has become more computer-mediated. It is now possible for individuals to form multiple relationships simultaneously and on the same platforms, and for such connections to remain purely virtual without offering any less social capital than if they were non-virtual. Timms (2011) argues that online identities allow individuals to hide behind masks to commit heinous crimes like cyber bullying, cyber rape, stalking, and as a platform for picking out victims. In online dating websites, gender swapping is a common experience where individuals experiment with posing as members of the opposite sex. While Dennen (2009) points out the relative paucity of the social interaction and argues that recipients should always get the contextual cues in virtual communication, it is not always that easy. The significance of deceipt and discovery depends on the actions involved and the level of emotional salience between the individuals. While such crimes as virtual rape are rare, the relative anonymity of the online world ... ... middle of paper ... ...ernet freedom and demand real identities is bound to revert the gains made on social platforms. It will be an infringement of the right of expression and will, if not curtailed itself, further lead to the erosion of human rights. Virtual communities offer a chance for individuals in the digital age to interact without the issues that accompany living or interacting in the real world. For example, since individuals design their own online characters and choose their virtual communities, it is less likely that the group dynamics will support blatant persecution. The considerable effort expended in designing online identity increases the chances that individuals will offer unreliable information. The online mask provides a glimpse of the person behind; even in cases where the identity is entirely fictional, one can still learn that the person behind lacks self-esteem.

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