What is the difference between online personalities and real life personalities? What is real when it comes to who we are, what we say, how we express ourselves, either in digital land, or in face to face land. Some think, as in this BBC article that online social networking is dangerous for your health.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stm
Despite some of the claims in that article, the comparison of who we are in real life versus who we are online does have at least subtle differences, like driving your car alone, you have somewhat a different personality while driving, and it shows in city traffic. So does online social networking further our evolutionary development on emotional, spiritual, and mental levels? Can it bridge the gaps between them and unify them through time, and personal observation of our own thoughts, actions, words, and reactions? Or, does it do the opposite? Does it divide us internally, eventual tumbling us into dementia like part of the article above suggest?
On a personal observation of myself, I notice a little of both. Some similarities in third dimensional reality versus digital reality, as well as an actual denial of personality in the third dimensional reality of the personalities in digital world. Yet I feel more whole while driving. Even though I intentional withhold some aspects of myself online for personal protection, by common sense through cryptic and masked identity, in which most of us do, and is most likely a safe choice. However, this brings me back to the point. Which identity is real, which is me? Or is it just divided and that is just a part of the separation in the various forms of communication.
Another example would be writing letters. I remember when younger, when I would hand write letters, and the difference was apparent then not only of myself, but from letters from others. A different and new form of emotional context exploded that was not shared through third dimensional face to face contact.
Social networking, writing, driving, face to face, and even telephone conversations, are examples of the various forms of communication that we use. The question is how this effects us, short term and long term, and how it effect or spiritual growth, or hinders it.
What do you think?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stm
Despite some of the claims in that article, the comparison of who we are in real life versus who we are online does have at least subtle differences, like driving your car alone, you have somewhat a different personality while driving, and it shows in city traffic. So does online social networking further our evolutionary development on emotional, spiritual, and mental levels? Can it bridge the gaps between them and unify them through time, and personal observation of our own thoughts, actions, words, and reactions? Or, does it do the opposite? Does it divide us internally, eventual tumbling us into dementia like part of the article above suggest?
On a personal observation of myself, I notice a little of both. Some similarities in third dimensional reality versus digital reality, as well as an actual denial of personality in the third dimensional reality of the personalities in digital world. Yet I feel more whole while driving. Even though I intentional withhold some aspects of myself online for personal protection, by common sense through cryptic and masked identity, in which most of us do, and is most likely a safe choice. However, this brings me back to the point. Which identity is real, which is me? Or is it just divided and that is just a part of the separation in the various forms of communication.
Another example would be writing letters. I remember when younger, when I would hand write letters, and the difference was apparent then not only of myself, but from letters from others. A different and new form of emotional context exploded that was not shared through third dimensional face to face contact.
Social networking, writing, driving, face to face, and even telephone conversations, are examples of the various forms of communication that we use. The question is how this effects us, short term and long term, and how it effect or spiritual growth, or hinders it.
What do you think?