Confusing Anonymity, Online and Off

We live in an age where anonymity is growing in magnitude like a bomb going off.
~Jock Sturges

an�o�nym�i�ty a) The quality or state of being unknown or unacknowledged. b) One that is unknown or unacknowledged.

"Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical, minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society." ~McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission

The issue of anonymity has been swimming around in my head for awhile now, and I think it's something we need to explore a bit. What is not all that important to me may be a screaming issue to you, and that, I do believe, can make the difference between trust and safety. Help me hash this out, would you?

Fading into the crowd.

This is the part of the whole issue that really ruffles my feathers. No matter what part of life you look at, you are just one of many. You are a member of a family - the daughter, the son, the cousin, second cousin or aunt. You share the same last name, presumably, so this fading-into-the-family anonymity is one of those biology things. It's just worse for those coming from a large family.

This anonymity thing, right from the get-go since we're born into a family, starts working from Day #1 to squash individuality.

From the time I came screeching into the world, I'm pretty sure I fought like a banshee any time that my individuality has been threatened. Since I was a really shy and quiet kid, those outbursts were the equivalent of WWIII. Pink? You want me to wear pink? Not in this lifetime!  You want to do what with my hair? I didn't want toys, I wanted books, drawing pads, music instruments - and a horse. As anonymous as it already was, I couldn't imagine the horror of wearing the same thing to school that someone else had on, let alone an entire school of kids wearing the same thing like in a Catholic School. And then, the only recognition you get for getting straight A's across the board was an A on a little piece of cardboard to your parents. Whoop-de-doo.

Go to a store, a concert, sit on a city bus or subway and you become part of the crowd. Your individuality gets lost in the sheer numbers of anonymous people.

Flapping it in the wind.

On the other hand, there's no doubt that more than a few people have paid with their lives for putting it all out there, speaking out and standing up for what is right. MalcomX, Martin Luther King Jr., and why can't I remember more? It surprised me to learn that MalcomX went from fighting for black rights to fighting for human rights. When he grew to that point, he stepped out from behind the anonymity of being just another black troublemaker. He paid with his life.

So, we sacrifice our individuality for the sake of our life? That doesn't make sense to me. Individuality is our freedom! It seems to me that the problem is more that some people assume they have the right to declare themselves superior and dictate what individuals do and say. That is not society, that is totalitarianism.

The online world.

Every day, we walk through different parts of our lives that require that we focus on specific aspects which in turn alters our behavior. Just waking up and stumbling toward the kitchen for coffee, there is no focus, nor is there a need for it. Pillow head, bad breath and bags under our eyes greet those that live with us, and that's normal. It's the way we are. At work, focus kicks in, and that requires a specific set of behaviors to maintain that focus and do the job. Thinking about facts and figures kicks in a certain formality in our personality. And that's normal.

Driving home from work, another focus is needed, and for some, the behaviors can turn into a raging maniac behind the wheel, or a total goof singing badly at the top of the volume scale. Stopping at the store is yet another focus, and another set of behaviors, mostly patience. At home is dinner with the family as focus and yet another set of behaviors as our role demands. And, that's normal.

Psychology calls all these different sets of behaviors personas. These personas are our way of navigating through our lives in the best way possible for us. The personas sit between your ego and the world and helps protect your ego by filtering though the stuff coming at you. You slide from one persona to the next seamlessly as your changing situations dictate. This is all normal.

So, when we sit down at our computer and begin to do what we do online, there is a focus and another set of behaviors that is our online persona.

Take a second and think about that. The majority of what we do online is write. I have always been comfortable writing and expressing my thoughts and ideas through writing. In person, I speak the way I write. Or, I write the way I speak. But, the act of writing gives me the focus I need to cleanly and clearly express the thoughts and ideas in my head. There are times when I don't speak so cleanly and clearly, believe me. I am who and what I am, whether I'm writing or talking. That's the way I choose to be. "Me" is my online persona.

Everyone's online persona is how they navigate and perceive it as a part of their lives.

It's your turn.

I've opened a can of worms here. I get the feeling that until we all come to terms with the Internet and it becomes something more than a crazy library or source of entertainment to us, it will continue to be something adamantly accepted or controversial in its purpose and value. We, as individuals, need to look within and clarify to ourselves and for ourselves, our online personas.

There's a whole lotta worms in that ol' can, and I've just scratched the surface here. What role does the Internet play in your life? What are some of your concerns?