Message boards are a popular way to share opinions on the internet. Sites such as 4chan, Tumblr, and Reddit have become easily recognizable hubs to the internet community. One of the attractive qualities of these sites is the anonymity that they provide. When one is able to remain anonymous they are free of expectations and constraints in their usual social atmosphere (Bargh et al. 2002). When one is relatively unknown they do not have to worry about peer pressure and conforming to customs that they might disagree with. This allows for users to express their honest opinions. Bargh et al. (2012) stated that the true self, made of important qualities of one’s identity, might not often have validation from important people in one’s life. The fact that the internet may allow them to express their true self and have other validate their opinions, allows them to further explore their true self and develop their identity. However, conformity is not absent on the internet. “Hive mind” is a very real phenomenon that occurs all over the internet. From memes to political stances, there is a strong likelihood for people to agree with ideas that may not be exactly congruent to their own. For a better understanding on “hive mind” You Have a Hive Mind explains the concept with an experiment on bees.
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When beginning to establish an identity online, users start to develop a nonymous online world. On sites where a username is created, people may begin to recognize that username is it noticeably active. When this happens, the user may adopt a different personality than their real life identity (Zhao et al. 2008). This may be to “role-play” in order to empower certain characteristics that they otherwise are not able to in their usual social atmospheres. Users may develop online relationships with others and eventually develop those relationships further in real life. However, users may desire to maintain the nonymous relationship solely online in order to continue the fulfillment that they receive by expressing their selves without having their “real” selves completely known. For instance Zhao et al. (2008) states that the “hoped-for possible self” is a version of an individual that they would like to become one day but something physical may be preventing that from coming to reality. By maintaining the nonymous relationship online, they can continue to empower themselves without leaving themselves susceptible to the anxiety of physical encounters.
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