Online Self Vs. Offline Self: The Issue of Self-perception

How do you present yourself to the world online and offline? Are you the same person Online and Offline? Which version of you is most true? These questions have made me think about the difference between our online self vs offline self, so I’ve decided to write an essay on it.

As we spend more and more time connected to our digital devices, we now live in two worlds. Living digital double lives. Inherently, we want to be more like ourselves, we want to be healthier, we want to be better but a better version of who we actually are. We usually wanting to present the best possible version of ourselves even if it is through online. In particular, my online self; my personal information is included in an online world and that includes; my name, my birthday and my country of origin and also my personality traits such as; my hobbies, as well as my interests and my general persona who is outgoing, shy at times, happy, sad, and other feelings that I feel. That’s how I perceive myself on the internet. But, on the other hand, my online behaviours did not reveal much about my real-world personas. Moreover, I am free to differently define and express myself as I wish because it is thus, online. From social media statuses to avatars, we connect and communicate and create parallel selves living parallel lives. Moreover, some say social media gives you confident and helps you to express yourselves, others say gives you self esteem as usual which can lead to be good down the line. I can say and post what I want online and I feel less shy online because I am not interacting with others face to face. I can also pick and decide which characteristics of myself were shared with others, which creates an environment, where true thoughts and feelings can be expressed.

Given those points, I am creating a completely separate identity online. The way I represent myself online can be different than the way I represent myself offline. I can keep an information only for myself and I’m sure that every person has a secret that he or she wishes to keep to themselves and not let others know. You will be admired in real life and not only through online. I can move freely without pretending. But, I can also say that, real life is so messy. Our own perception and awareness in something is influenced by a lot of factors that happens at the same time and some are contradictory. The way we are being conscious to ourselves can be diversified from: our clothes, our expressions, through the tone of our voice, those social judgment towards us, and many many more.

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