Self presentation on the internet is a far cry from the reality's of our actual personality traits. Using social media, we depict a warped view for the world on us as an "individual" which doesn't always show the truth behind the name and pictures, in essence creating a group of actors. This could potentially be seen as the users breaking the terms and conditions which state users must use "real information". But why should the users have to provide all real information? Do we not have a right to be anonymous online anymore? Furthermore Freedom of speech goes hand in hand in the present day with anonymity. This issue is becoming more and more prevalent every day with law makers making new laws and acts around the world which shake the very core of internet ethics and censorship, such as the China style law called SOPA which the U.S congress is debating.
Social network users may and often do provide core basic information that is truthful due to registration forms and other formality's. But i think after registration a lot of the time this is where a lot of real information gets held back and a new persona is born. Some of your identity is lost but also a new online identity is created which contributes to your daily attributes. The way users portray themselves will most probably not portray the real them because everyone is in the open for attack. The defense mechanism is to watch the social collective and play your part in the order of society to "fit in". Erving Goffman (author and sociologist) says "the social actor has the ability to choose his stage and props, as well as the costume
he would put on in front of a specific audience. The actor's main goal
is to keep his coherence, and adjust to the different settings offered
him. This is done mainly through interaction with other actors. To a
certain extent, this imagery bridges structure and agency, enabling each, while saying that structure and agency can limit each other". This is evident of social networking today as we can see to a certain extent how people will portray themselves to other people (the stage), status updates and photos which can be used to boost their portrail(props and other actors), and when maybe someone like an embarrassing mum or aunt comments on your status you put on a mask to "shield" your friends from potentially a fire on stage that could end dramatically for your social status. But i would add that the actor has a backdrop of stages for any audience. Some of the users friends may not be able to see another status involving other friends, enabling the actor to use a different identity, blinding unwelcome guests.
At the same time as users molding their self-presentation they are being targeted by add campaign's on Facebook which could be deemed to be invasive and actually against the terms of conditions. The company olla comdoms advertised its products by making fake facebook accounts of the targeted users and using their name with Jr tagged on the end. This video shows an advert for the campaign.
In my opinion this is crossing the line as it is invading your private life. It's core aim is to strike fear into the user who gets the request in order for them to think about buying the product. This is morally wrong as they are manipulating the thought processes by playing on your fears.
Facebook is right to ban fake accounts because this is immoral and manipulating. As well this bullying can be a cyber tool for people wanted to hide behind a curtain which should be stopped.
On the other hand, people should have the right to anonymity if they abide by the law, because if your doing nothing wrong then their is no need to keep such a close tab off who you are. Freedom of speech is helped by anonymity because a person cannot be penalized immorally if they have brought a topic to light that's in the public interest. For example, Wikileaks released hundreds of thousands of U.S government cables showing the detrimental effects the country has had all over the world, for example the massacre of Iraqi civilians. The information was passed to Wikileaks through a whistleblower. When the alleged whistleblower (Bradley Manning) was eventually found he was put in to military confinement and condemned to torturous conditions and is currently under trial. This is one reason why anonymity on the internet should prevail as it promotes democracy.
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