My name is Brianne Gilbert. I am a junior majoring in AEM and taking a minor in Communications, and I am also on the Cornell Women's ice hockey team.
One thing that has puzzled me regarding the internet is "internet dating." I do not understand how people can confide in people they meet over the internet. There is so much anonymity on the internet and anyone can say anything they want about themselves. What is it about the internet that makes people comfortable about sharing their life stories and personal information with complete strangers who could potentially be someone completely different than who they say they are (sometimes even without even seeing a picture of the other person)?
There are so many commercials on TV regarding such websites as "eHarmony" that claim to match you based on a certain number of levels of compatibility. Also, with photoshop and other manipulation tools it is so easy to alter one's looks so even if there is a picture present it could easily have been altered. But at the end of the day there are some people who end up marrying the man or woman they meet online. I am interested to find out how people can have such feelings purely over the internet without any physical interaction with each other.
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I think I can see why someone would confide in someone they've never met. Because of that anonymity, there is no real value in what you're saying. Their opinion of you is not as important as those of the people you have to see everyday. It may be easier to get things off your chest with someone whose perceptions of you don't matter so much initially. Furthermore, since they don't know you or the people involed with you, they are only given one story, yours, where you are most likely the sympathetic victim. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what they think as much, because they don't know the real you (But I guess over time, it may seem like they've come to know you better)
Hey Brianne! I agree with Yim; I think it might be much easier for some people to confide in people and get criticism from people they dont know and therefore dont really care about. Its harder to get criticism from those you really care about. It may also be parallel to going to a therapist and confiding in that person as opposed to a friend or a loved one. I think it may also have something to do with why so many people have facebook and myspace accounts. It may be easier to let more people know details of your life than your loved ones. But, of course, in the end it all depends on the type of person you are.
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