Week 4 Reading Reaction #2

Just Like Me Only Better, is an article from which I was immediately struck by the amount of people who create alternative projections of their actual self when online. When I thought about this I considered the idea of an avatar or a made up character from which an individual could live out their fantasies. Of course this seemed so distant from my reality as I had never done role playing games online with characters nor did I know of anyone who participated in such activities. Then I thought about the social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, and all of the areas where you can create a profile. This profile can become an alternative projection of a self that embodies all or none of the characteristics that the creator maintains. I became concerned about this idea because what puzzled me was the amount of time, effort and thought that goes into the creation of an alternative identity. Is it really something that we have to think about and consider, or is it something that we simply just create during moments of passion, excitement and euphoria; all moments when actions are often the most regrettable? I think that we each need to consider the projection of a digital self and what sort of a projection says about who the creator is and how such a projection is a reflection as much as the world that we choose to participate and the world in which we must participate.