Is Your Online Identity Authentic?
I was just paging through this month’s Technology Review. The letter from the Editor, Jason Pontin, is entitled “Authenticity in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility: Do S...
Pontin writes, “Social-media Jason Pontin, in short, is a function of my business life. I know that this identity is inauthentic, because there is so much about which I do not post or blog. Do other habitual users of social media, whose social identities are as carefully constructed to attract attention, but who blog and post about everything (and thus feel no alienation), not know that those identities are inauthentic? Bemused by the difference between themselves and their social-media selves, are they mere Copies, cast from a few popular molds, endlessly reproduced among false friends?”
He goes on to quote Lionel Trilling, telling us the enemy of authenticity is society and “our sentiment of being depends on the opinion of other people.” In conclusion, Pontin states that “Insofar as social technologies make us more dependent upon the opinion of others, they may be said to increase our inauthenticity and are to be deplored…,” while admitting he’s a technologist, an optimist, and will go on using social media.
So, what do you think? Is your social-media identity authentic and sincere? Do you fall into the category that posts everything or very little? Does that make you more or less authentic? What’s society and other peoples’ opinions’ role in your online identity?
Pontin writes, “Social-media Jason Pontin, in short, is a function of my business life. I know that this identity is inauthentic, because there is so much about which I do not post or blog. Do other habitual users of social media, whose social identities are as carefully constructed to attract attention, but who blog and post about everything (and thus feel no alienation), not know that those identities are inauthentic? Bemused by the difference between themselves and their social-media selves, are they mere Copies, cast from a few popular molds, endlessly reproduced among false friends?”
He goes on to quote Lionel Trilling, telling us the enemy of authenticity is society and “our sentiment of being depends on the opinion of other people.” In conclusion, Pontin states that “Insofar as social technologies make us more dependent upon the opinion of others, they may be said to increase our inauthenticity and are to be deplored…,” while admitting he’s a technologist, an optimist, and will go on using social media.
So, what do you think? Is your social-media identity authentic and sincere? Do you fall into the category that posts everything or very little? Does that make you more or less authentic? What’s society and other peoples’ opinions’ role in your online identity?
Tags: authenticity, online_identitiy, sincerity, social_media
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chuck Musciano on -
This is an interesting consideration for anyone who has an extensive online history. Having worked with the internet since the mid-80s (really!) and having a somewhat unique name, I can readily find postings of mine that are more than 20 years old, and google lists more than 46,000 hits for my full name. My identity is shaped by things I wrote before the concept of an online identity was even understood.
That said, I am always conscious of what I post, how much I reveal, and who the audience may be. I don't consider this inauthentic but simply prudent. Today's social tools lack the ability to create and structure rings of trust and exposure that would allow progressive disclosure of increasingly personal information to various audiences. The real world has these rings and structure; our social tools need to mirror them as well.
Coincidentally, I just blogged on this, at The Effective CIO. Even that blog requires registration to be read, although I hope you'll think the content is worth the minor effort!
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Permalink Reply by Sara Hruska on -
Interesting blog, Chuck!
So do you feel that in order for you to be authentic with people (online or otherwise) you need them to go through some sort of structure ring of trust and exposure?
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Permalink Reply by Chuck Musciano on
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No, I think I am authentic at each level, but with different levels of personal exposure. I don't change my persona, but I change what I choose to share at each level.
For example, my kids (13 and 17) follow me on Twitter and read my blog. I think that's great, and I encourage it. But as any parent will tell you, there are aspects of your life that you wouldn't share with your kids that you would share with coworkers, adult peers, etc. These aren't "bad" activities, per se, but may embrace concepts that they simply are not mature enough to handle.
I wonder if this is generational... Certainly the web-2.0 community is demographically shifted to a younger community, which may have different attitudes about sharing. I'll wager that those attitudes will change as they get older, and I can guarantee you that plenty of 22-year-old new grads are frantically cleaning up Facebook and MySpace pages as they enter the job market. What made for "appropriate sharing" after that party when you are 19 is hard to explain when you are applying for your first job at 23!
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Permalink Reply by Sara Hruska on
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I've definitely seen more across-the-board sharing from my younger online friends, as you mentioned. It'll be interesting to see if the cleaning up of online profiles is even necessary anymore when that generation has moved into the employer role.
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Permalink Reply by Can Sungur on -
I have a seperate online personality to deal with that situation.
I realized this all online sharing was going to get bigger and bigger about 4-5 years ago. That's when I started using another name with an all different name, age and look. They are still both me, yet there's a professional part to a persons life, or the part you share with your family and friends.
And then, there are online friends, whose faces you have never seen, that you share the common interests, and I mean niche interests. Personally, I wouldn't want to combine some people I only know the nickname of that share my interest in bug biology with my friends and family and co-workers.. :)
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Permalink Reply by Sara Hruska on
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That's an interesting way to take it on, Can. So, even though your alter-identity uses a name, age, and look that is not how you represent in the "real" world, you still feel that it's sincere?
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Permalink Reply by Brent P. Newhall on -
I disagree pretty strongly with the idea that "our sentiment of being depends on the opinion of other people."
Pontin seems to think that he can only be authentic if he blogs about everything in his life. It's impossible to blog about every single detail of your entire life. And what does that have to do with being authentic or sincere? I can be completely authentic and sincere with somebody without presenting them with my entire life history and every thought going through my head, can't I? If not, how can anyone be authentic or sincere?
The terms "authentic" and "sincere" are a bit questionable, too. Do you act exactly the same at a dinner party as you do at home? Does that mean you're not authentic or sincere?
I think one can be as authentic and sincere online as offline. Or just as inauthentic and insincere.
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Permalink Reply by Sara Hruska on
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I tend to agree with you, Brent. There's definitely a difference between what is appropriate at the office and at home, but that doesn't make eitiher one any more or less sincere.
Perhaps extreme but, do you think not blogging everything in your life could be construed as a type of lying by omission, which is more inline with being inauthentic and insincere?
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