Is the Sexy31 so sexy in real life?

“Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.” (anonymous)

Some years ago writing an e-mail or checking news on internet was something really extraordinary. Now about half of Latvia’s population is in our most popular internet community site www.draugiem.lv, we all are using different kinds of technologies, programs, and enjoying the possibilities that digital media gives. To exaggerate a bit I can say that now meetings in real life are extraordinary. Now your real name and face is something extraordinary. On internet you can be anyone.

Blogs, chats, community sites, social networking, forums, multiplayer online games, Skype or Windows Messenger, etc. – so many places to be in, and so many identities to take on. Internet gives an opportunity to make yourself better and to fulfill you would never dare in real life. Internet is full of different nicknames that sometimes make you think: “What’s wrong with them?” Just an observation – a user called Sexy31 in chat will be much more popular than Ieva31 (an ordinary Latvian name). But perhaps Sexy31 is just an old man wanting attention.

To sum up my thoughts I have come to some pluses and minuses of online identity.

Pluses:

• Independence from modesty and psychological problems. On internet nobody sees your (mostly imaginary) imperfection (“Oh, I am so fat, I can’t go to him and ask for a dance” – a possible conversation in nightclub ladies’ room).
• More space for your opinion and interactivity. As there’s no shyness you can freely add comments and send messages on things you are concerned with.
• Social networking – on internet it is easier and faster to build up new contacts that may become useful meeting in real life also.
• No other factors influence other thoughts of you. Perhaps in a way it would be called objectivity.
• (place for your opinion)

Minuses:

• More space for criminals and illegal or just unethical actions. The drawback of anonymity.
• Poorly established laws on internet policies. This especially regards Latvia and other countries where internet came into later than others.
• Messing up with so many identities. What really are one’s qualities and weak points?
• Living on internet. Second life becomes first life.
• (place for your opinion)

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