Building my Online Identity

“For girls like Leanne, IM is more than just a technology. It can be a driving force in their private and public lives, particularly for adolescents who use it.” This quote from Instant Identity truly sums up the way I feel about the internet and my communication with others via messaging. Although IMing has been a major part of my life I have never has the opportunity to research it or investigate it until now. I must admit that when the America Online phenomenon took place I thought I might have a mild addiction to instant messaging, but after reading these chapters I understand that my obsession was completely normal and actually rather common. “An extensive study conducted by the Pew Research Center on adolescent Internet use says that close to thirteen million teenagers use IM- a number that is growing all the time- and that this technology-driven communication has a key place in many of their lives.”

Prior to this class I thought of Instant Messaging as a distraction from reality and an excuse to not physically interact with others. I guess in some ways I was placing too much judgment on myself for wanting to communicate through the internet because there are so many warning and precautions about the dangers of talking to people online. However, I now realize that much of my identity was formed through the experiences I had online though IM. Gossip was my biggest motivation for communicating via IM as my girlfriends and I would exchange exciting stories about our peers or classmates. As a female, my interest in using the internet as a form of communication was completely natural and understandable. I believe that the author has accomplished her goal in which she aimed to “offer an intercession for understanding how adolescent girls, through their uses of IM, negotiate and articulate their identities, especially with regard to gender.” Pg 3

“Online gender identity negotiation might present a new opportunity for girls who might have felt silenced within their home and school culture because it allows for communication and identity articulation without the worry that can go along with face-to-face contact.” In many ways I avoided socializing with others-especially boys- in school because I was very self conscious and battled self esteem issues in my earlier years. It was much easier for me to build up the courage to speak to a cute boy through IM because I knew I could make interesting conversation without having to worry if he thought I looked pretty at that moment. This process of identity formation made me appreciate characteristic in myself other than my physical attributes. Overall, IMing made me who I am today and I wouldn’t change a thing.