A critique of “cyberspace and Identity” by Sherry Turkle

Identity is a very crucial word that has a major role in building one’s distinct personality. Your identity can be shaped by many different factors or experiences, and the things that could have the most impact are family, friends and the internet. Nowadays, with the introduction of cyberspace and the technological evolution, virtual world is taking over society. And as a consequence, this advancement of technology has contributed to the development of multiple identities that many of us users have probably experienced and noticed the difference. In the text, “cyberspace and identity” (1999), the author Sherry Turkle talks about how multiple identities are created and rapidly spreading. She claims that through the internet people have expressed many different sides of their personalities as a person takes the role of many personas.
In the essay “cyberspace and Identity” (1999), Sherry Turkle claims that the creation of cyberspace communication has resulted in putting together multiple identities. She concentrated her argument on how she sees society today with the existence and influence of the virtual world. As well, the writer talks in her composition about our current reality and the physiological impact that are taking place when dealing with the virtual world. She presents her argument with four different statements. She begins her discussion by the textual description; she claims that people in this world can express themselves more freely, as people goes from one virtual environment to another, their identity and personality change. Then, she states that the online identity is a moratorium, and she argues that online communication expands one’s range in real life persona. Lastly, she states that cyberspace can lead us to multiple identities and what we are while communicating online can be projected on our reality.
Furthermore, the author presents her text in a logical way with organized ideas. Turkle divides her essay into four different main ideas. She states that when most people are in the virtual world, they assume different identities based on what they desire to be. She progressively introduces her issue and finally gives her opinion about the topic. Moreover, Turkle gives reliable examples to support her own arguments on the subject. She argues that online life can reflect our personality freely and that people can try out new identities with virtual communication, she says: “the online exercise of playing with identity and trying out new identities is perhaps most explicit in role playing virtual communities where participation literally brings with the creation of a persona”
Secondly, she states that “cyberspace has a range of psychological effects and that virtual social life can rework the notion of moratorium”. She also quotes Erick Ericsson “if our culture no longer offers an adolescent moratorium, virtual communities often do” (1991). Then, as an example, she introduces the thirty year old man who had an issue with being unable of confrontation and how cyberspace helped him change. Finally wrapping up the text with her own opinion: “it is fashionable to think that we have passed from a psychoanalytic culture to a computer culture...” These examples elucidate very logically her claim as she elaborates her main points. Turkle used in her text real life examples that can be comprehended by the reader. She was able to convince the readers with her claim that people can express multiple identities via internet using reliable and valid supports.
In my opinion, I agree with the author’s claim that through cyberspace one can have multiple identities and thus one can express himself/herself freely. Because when communicating online, people can have more time to think what they want to say and express themselves more freely and can be who they want to be, also no one is there to judge them.
In conclusion, cyberspace communication is part of our life. In this virtual world people can have multiple identities where they can express themselves, and this communication allows many people o step up from the virtual world into reality and they are able to unite the virtual world identity with the real life identity.