I'm on Facebook. I blog. I have an online persona, and am one of the only people in my circle of IRL friends to do this - open myself up, put the details of my life out there for all to see. My thoughts, pictures, CV, connections, preferences, quirks, daily status - all open to public scrutiny.
This makes my friends nervous.
But for me, it feels like a form of authentic self-expression. On the web, you can be who you are and be proud of it (something I'm still working on in meatspace). The long tail of social networking would theoretically let me find other scientist attachment parents who practice tai chi, although I haven't tried that search yet (now I'm curious).
The question is just how much information do I reveal - how far to open the kimono, so to speak? More detail = more authenticity and self-expression, which leads to greater trust and connection. But am I also making myself vulnerable to identity theft or various other crimes that I don't want to think about? Do I really want my business advisors to know about my 4th grade classmates and vice versa? Do I want either of them to know that I had a really hard day with a cranky toddler who was constantly nursing? Do I share my travel plans with everyone? There is a surreptitious excitement I feel when I reveal another bit of myself online, but surely there must be a line to be drawn between freely/proudly expressing myself and keeping some things to myself.
I'm interested to hear how other people feel about this balance. Thoughts, anyone?
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6 comments:
I'm really careful about how much information I divulge. On my blog, I write/complain/rage about some of the people I work with and I'd probably lose my job if my blog was discovered.
Interesting! So your blog is mostly an outlet for your feelings, a private journal for your eyes only. Is it not publicly available then, or do you just hope no one will find it?
Hi Alexandra,
This seems an appropriate post on which to comment that I've tagged you over at my blog to play Five Sordid Facts. Find out what it's about at svlizajane.blogspot.com
Hope to see you soon!
Thanks Linda! Sounds like fun! :)
Like you, I feel more empowered the more I share. It's as if I'm saying "look at me, the real me, the true me, I have nothing to hide" and that is a very good feeling. Having said that (or done that) I have learned from those around me that sometimes, especially when it comes to colleagues and work, it can be better to stay more professional/discrete. I have found hiding, or constantly having to filter my image, is a more stressful way of being.
Thanks for your perspective, Faren! I also find hiding to be stressful, and feel much happier/stronger being me and being open about it. :)
I tend to err on the side of sharing more instead of less. I guess in that way I agree with John Mayer: "It’s better to say too much
Than never to say what you need to say again".
There seems to be a generational divide here. My parents would never share as much online as I do. But I think it's so liberating to live transparently, in open love instead of closed fear.
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