Identity seems to be a hot topic right now, not only in the media but in this week's readings. Who are we and what is our story? In the first article by Danah Boyd the ability to have a pseudoname is the issue at hand. Why is such an issue for people? Aren't we allowed to be who and what we choose to in real life. Yes there are dress codes and restrictions for certain jobs but away from those guidelines people are who they are. In the new and upcoming generations a trend has set in to find and define identity through online and social sites, so why is this such an issue to older generations?
The way millennials develop their identity and understand privacy is through the way they are taught in schools and at home. Alice E. Marwick discusses the networked model of privacy and how it contradicts most of the signals or lessons teenagers have been taught on privacy. They have been watched over and informed on how necessary it is to have strict privacy settings; however they live in a world where information freely flows and can be reproduced in every way possible. Because of this their thoughts on privacy and information flow has been altered, as well as their versions of online identity. These two issues go hand and hand.
Camielia Gradinaru discusses the concept of online identity and its convergence to the internet today in her article From Multitude to Convergence: Contemporary Trends in the Online Identity. She states that In the 1990s, the dominant discourse about identity was formed around the idea of the great freedom in construction of a new, different identity/identities using the characteristics and tools of the Internet."
Online identity is something that is liquid and always changing, just like the actual human identity. People change through circumstances and situations and different parts of their person come forth. Frankly, a lot of time is spent worrying about who people present themselves as online while there are many more pressing issues to donate this research time to. After all, for years and years writers, artists, and celebrities have been creating different identities to keep their private lives private, so why is it a big deal for common classes to do so?
You make some really good points. I especially like your last sentence regarding one of the many double standards that exist. Also, I was thinking that it would be really great if there was some way to make the "younger generation" realize that it may not be so great to be so open with no regard for privacy. (Shouldn't they teach that in middle school or something?)
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