Recently, two luminaries of the academic online world, Jordan Peterson and Bret Weinstein, conducted a fascinating discussion, which they generously shared with the rest of us curious viewers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O_gW4VWZ5c
Their online exchange hit upon several fascinating contemporary topics. One topic in which I found profound interest was what they said about the difference between personal identity and online identity.
At approximately 58 minutes into their videozed exchange, Bret uncovers a revolutionary aspect of life in the internet age.
Most important . . . At 59:30, Bret is saying:
“ If you are sufficiently plugged-in to the internet early enough, there comes a point at which your persona on the internet takes primacy; it is more important than your actual, physical life persona.”
Dr. Peterson immediately responds with a personal acknowledgement of this recent development. Then he proceeds to speak candidly about the unforeseen effects that have arisen in his life since the impact of his “online avatars” have far exceeded the impact of his personal living and his actual teaching and psychology practice.
We are living in an age when millions of people present their constructed identities online.
In many cases, real people are using the online to reconstruct their original identity. Sometimes that works out fairly well for persons, other times . . . not so much.
One thing for sure, though, in the age of cyberspace: This thing called “Identity” ain’t what it used to be.
Or, as Ringo said, on a TV commercial in earlier times—excuse me for mentioning it—the ’60’s . .
“This is not your father’s Oldsmobile.”
This present world is not the same as it existed in previous ages, only a generation ago, when each person was limited to establishing their own identity through the use of old-school media: life-work, photographs, writings, recordings, family life, life in the public domain of a material, very real, world.
This cyber world identity is far more easily manipulated by its originator (you or me) than the old-school, old-world media of newspapers, telephones, radios, books, Main Street, life-on-the-street, flesh and blood personality.
The flip-side of that flexibility is: that online persona may go on to step out ahead of its real-life originator in a magnifying function—or a metastasizing image—that may—or may not—fulfill the intent of its creator.
While young people who have grown up in the online world may find it easy to project an alternate identity for themselves, that power may not extend to, say, the area between their legs.
So be careful out there. You can catch a snake by its tail; but if you don’t know what you’re doing, its head—and teeth—could recoil to inject you with something very strange.
Some snakes have venom; others do not. All ye identity shape-shifters out there, do you know the difference?
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