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Internet and Identity

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Submitted By k2hawaii2007
Words 957
Pages 4
Anton Samuilau Writing 1200-A 01/07/2008

Internet Internet entered our lives only a couple decades ago; however, its popularity and influence has been growing at an astonishing rate ever since. In many ways Internet has redefined communication and become “an essential medium at personal, business, and professional levels” (Farilli 237). Email and instant messaging help communicate people who are thousand miles away from each other; videoconferencing enables business contacts without the necessity of physical presence; chat rooms bring together people and make acquaintances which could never otherwise emerge in real world. These are just few examples of how Internet reshaped our everyday lives and as a new means of interaction. However, it cannot also be denied that computer-mediated communication, which is a basis of Internet contacts, goes much further bringing traditional understanding of “self” and community to the new levels. For many people today Internet represents a tool in negotiating their problems by developing their own personas online as well as bringing people together in the communal sense. One of the main Web trends that have a profound impact on personal expression and, therefore, identity quest is blogging. John Dvorak studied the phenomena of online diaries and stressed several reasons that made them so popular. Among those reasons are: a) ego gratification through belief that what one is writing maybe important to others; b) antidepersonalization by stressing one’s personality and uniqueness; c) elimination of frustration by expressing one’s dissatisfaction with the outside world and d) societal need to share one’s thoughts and feelings (Dvorak 257). Therefore, blogging represents a healthy way to relieve frustration for ones and share thoughts and pains for the others. Snider further enhanced this idea, concluding

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