Somebody sent me a link to an article on the nature of how people present themselves on the internet. It’s interesting, and I know I’ve seen the behaviour detailed within the article continually over the years.
When people have the opportunity to separate their actions from their real world and identity, they feel less vulnerable about opening up. Whatever they say or do can’t be directly linked to the rest of their lives. They don’t have to own their behavior by acknowledging it within the full context of who they “really” are. When acting out hostile feelings, the person doesn’t have to take responsibility for those actions. In fact, people might even convince themselves that those behaviors “aren’t me at all.” In psychology this is called “dissociation.”
You can find the full article at
http://www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/disinhibit.html
It makes for interesting reading.
alexmeehan.com 