Why are our online identities so different from our real ones?

Our world is full of cut-throat competition and we are constantly struggling to be identified. Identity can be termed as an action conscious of itself. It emphasizes the sharing of a degree of sameness or oneness with others in a particular area or at a given point. W. H. Auden aptly quotes "Young people, who are still uncertain of their identity, often try on a succession of masks in the hope of finding the one which suits them, the one, in fact, which is not a mask." It is true that a new personality is incomplete without a new identity. A new identity gives you the opportunity to be someone you always wanted to be. It is a chance to experiment, to fake fame and success. It is an opportunity to quench the desire of being the most popular, rich and famous person you always wanted to be, without any actual consequences.

Our identity in the virtual world greatly differs from our real one because in real life we fear the uninvited judgement of society on every bit of our existence. We fear being criticized or laughed at. The youngsters want to do what’s forbidden and yet remain nameless. They want to breathe free momentarily, even if it is not real. Anonymity is one such weapon which empowers the hesitant to speak and the realistic to dream. One such example is the brutal Delhi rape case. The masses have been using internet as a platform to voice their opinions, loud and clear, and yet staying anonymous. Their voices are echoing throughout the country, shaking every pillar and will do so until justice comes our way.

Even the notorious types wear masks. The destructive minds take the aide of fake identities to target the unaware masses in unethical ways and make them victims of fraud and robbery. There are surplus examples of terrorists and hackers who have used fake names to attack government websites and banks, and stolen precious information. Online identity scams have multiplied in form and name. Recently hitting the headlines is Notre Dame star linebacker, Manti Te’o’s fake girlfriend hoax. He reportedly fell for a “catfish” i.e. someone posting fake news of his romantic relationship and death of his girlfriend who never existed! He decided to go along with the wind, mentioning a non-existent girlfriend in interviews, grieving her death. The story definitely made him the top trending term on Twitter and got him Heisman Ranking No. 2 courtesy the unnamed hacker. Such attackers vanish swiftly into the pool of anonymity and are difficult to trace unless a legal action is invoked.

You need not have evil motives for using a fake identity. For some people it is a matter of privacy and avoiding scammers. With growing technology, people, especially teenagers, are becoming more vulnerable. Revealing one’s real self puts one at the risk of exposure and exploitation. There have been numerous cases where young, innocent women meet online friends who turn out to be jerks, and end up molested and trashed. A mask helps one stay protected, be expressive or even flirty without risking physical damage. Even the U.S. Military has purchased software designed to create and control false online personas in an attempt to use social media and other websites to counter anti-U.S. messaging. A hacktivist group named Anonymous follows the concept of all people as unnamed collective. Holding up their fake shared online identity, the members of the group contribute to the society as whistle-blowers against faulting organizations or simply speak their hearts out, something which they hesitate doing in a regular society. Although the group is more famous for cyber attacks, they have also lent a hand in promoting the interests of LGBTs, freedom of speech and protesting against barbarian laws. Masked heroes like Batman and Spider-man saw injustice and fought against it. In a country where corruption is at peak and raising a voice is analogous to playing with fire, all we need are leaders with the likes of our comic heroes.

Anonymity is a coin – its two faces being the real and the fake sides of our existence. On one hand the oppressed use it to make a strong statement while on the other hand the tyrants use it to ensnare the innocent. It is a power vested in your hands to be used as you will. Whether you bait or you liberate is a matter of choice.