The first of many blogs to come

As I am writing this down at this very moment, I am entering a realm that I have never stepped foot into. This "Blogging Realm" if you will, is something that is completely foreign to me, but here is where I begin my first post. As you all can see from the title of my blog post, it is my belief that any media (whether it be internet, cellphone etc.) can help enable an individual's personal identity. A prime example of this would be a discussion we held in class concerning "Second Life" I believe. Now initially I had no clue what the hell that was, but after learning it was carrying a "Second Life" online, I could see why it was so popular. Second Life ties into my topic in several ways, beginning with the fact that not all people in this world are what they seem to be when we first meet them. Some of us are shy, some of us are outspoken, but these characteristics we portray to the world don't necessarily always tell the world just who we are inside. It is my assumption that it easier to be yourself around friends and family than around a group of complete strangers. We as humans are very self-conscious and constantly worry about the impressions we may display to others in public, but imagine if an individual could recreate a level of comfort similar to that of the comfort around their friends and family, what would that do for individual in terms of letting people know who they really were? Well the only way I see it is, the individual can finally shine some light on who he or she really is without all the hassle of wondering what the other people around her are thinking. This is exactly what I think Second Life does, it creates a sense of comfort for its users through online interaction, as opposed to real life interaction. It is much easier for me as an individual to say "Hey I think you're attractive." to a complete stranger online, than it is for me to say that to someone else in the reality. The online connection enables individuals to say more of what is on their minds, because it essentially negates the consequences that may follow what they say. If I call you out online over something, it is my understanding that you will never find me and thus, I can express more of what think and feel. I think this plays a major part in how media can help individuals convey who they really are. If there is a way to express how you feel without experiencing most of the repercussions that may follow, why wouldn't any sane individual take that path? This is what Second Life offers to those who may want to avoid the sting of getting shot down before even getting a chance to show who they really are. Cellphones, instant messaging, emails, all these things enable us to do what Second Life takes to another level, and that is let people know who we are without all the negative that may come with it. I find it a lot easier to text or email something to someone about how I feel, than it is to say it to their face. I can plan what I am going to say, I can respond whenever I want, and I can even ignore the individual, but that may not always be the case in a face to face confrontation.