In a recent class we spoke about identities. Every person has one, and they might not always remain the same. The way I act in front of my parents is surely going to be different from how I would act with my best friends or in a professional interview. These identities that people create are used for social interaction; many times people construct their identities based on how they perceive the audience will see them. In face-to-face communication this can be harder than online. There are less tell-tale signs of lies, deception, or personal characteristics behind a computer screen than when you’re standing in front of someone.

One aspect that this newer communication brings about is the ability for identity disembodiment. By this, an individual can become whoever they want to be; there is no race, no gender, and no constraints. This can absolutely be beneficial for an individual who is trying to find him or herself. For instance, they may have aspects of their personality (such as sexuality) that are closed off to others. Online those personality traits can anonymously come out. While this may be beneficial for a person who is trying to figure him or herself out, it can cause problems in social interaction as well.

This becomes an issue when a person pretending to be someone he or she is not develops a relationship with another person believing that this individual is his or her true self. When problems like these arise, it can be complicated to get yourself out of the situation. People online will want to meet if they have developed an extremely close friendship or romantic relationship. When one person is a fraud, this is a shock in person, and it can cause extreme emotion distress. One television show has captured these stories over the past few years. Catfish is that show. As you can tell from the television ad, this show was created to bring people who meet online together, whether they are who they say they are or not.

I myself have watched a few episodes, and when people find out that their romantic interest is a man instead of a woman, black instead of white, or any other combination of difference, they can react with great anger, hurt, and regret. It would be devastating to find out someone you love is not who they say they are. While there are many stories of this “catfishing” (the official term for those who pretend to be someone they’re not online in a relationship), others are stories only of happiness or forgiveness. It may be hard to accept someone as a different person, but some individuals have the power to look past the physical aspects into the personality of the individual they have met online.

I believe this is one of the best parts of computer mediated communication; there are no ways of judging by appearance if a picture is not present. People who may never speak face-to-face can become the best of friends. And while that can bring negative consequences as well, the positives are just as great.