Beil 1

Derrick Beil Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 2/12/2013 Topic Proposal: Social Networking and the Differences of Offline and Online Identities Introduction/Overview From the beginning, the introduction of online communities has given people the opportunity to produce online identities. These online identities and personas can sometimes differ from ones actual real life identity. Through my research I plan on delving into the world on online identities in order to discover what and why aspects of a persons real life persona is changed, omitted or even fabricated in their online personalities. The possibilities of alternate or even fabricated identities in online communities is showcased by Soraj Hongladroms academic paper which discusses the way Thai users on Facebook do not use their real pictures or names in their profiles. For example, Hongladrom states the following about a user who calls himself Burn Out: We do not need to worry about his real identity here, because he does not use his real name on his profile page. He also uses a picture of a koala as his profile picture. The result is that, if one does not know beforehand who Burn Out really is, then there is no possibility of knowing his real identity. (Hongladrom 536) The analysis of Burn Outs online profile exposes the idea of how one does not necessarily have to be themselves online. There is no one forcing online users to be themselves, there is always an option to be anonymous and only reveal what a person wants to reveal. Unlike in the real world,

Beil 2

one cannot simply observe you and understand who you truly are. Its like playing poker without being about to see the other players; how can one tell if other players are bluffing if they are unable to read their body language. Initial Inquiry Question(s) Are there any reasons users may fabricate an online identity? What things does a person typically change about themselves? In what ways does a person go about changing their online identity? Do online identities ever leave cyberspace and begin to reveal themselves in the person who created them? Are there any plans or laws in place to regulate the fabrication of online identities? If no laws are enacted, would the act of identity fabrication be within the jurisdiction of identity theft laws? In essence, my main questions are: Who are the people that fabricate or change their identities online? Why do they do this? How do they go about doing this? And what effects can these online identities have on a persons real life personality? My Interest in this Topic Im interested in this topic because I feel like it is becoming more and more popular to not be ones self online and I want to find out why this phenomenon is occurring. Especially with the emergence of reality TV shows such as MTVs Catfish by observing the reactions of those who have been fooled and lied to makes me wonder what would make a person blatantly hide their real identities. Next Steps I plan on doing the majority of my research using the academic databases provided by the UNC Charlotte Atkins Library. During my initial research during my topic selection I was able to locate several academic journals and articles that provided specific information and research that pertains to my topic. However, I pay have to broaden my research to gain an understanding

Beil 3

of my topic from different perspectives. The sources of these additional resources may include credible newspapers and news outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, and NBC.