Photo Source: Andy Roth (CC:BY)
Last weekend, superhero movie “The Avengers” grossed $207, 438, 708 (via BoxOffice Mojo).
If you’re like me, and have yet to see this movie, don’t worry. The premise is simple: a bunch of regular folks with alter egos come together and are forced to co-exist for the greater good. Awesome. Except… wait a second. This sounds a little too familiar. Not in a hey-isn’t-this-like-every-other-superhero-movie-in-existence? kind of way, but in a hey-isn’t-this-what-I-do-everyday?? kind of way. See, when we participate on the Internet, we accomplish exactly what the premise of “the Avengers” offers: a bunch of regular folks (check) with alter egos (check) coming together (check,) forced to co-exist for the greater good (check).
Again, I haven’t seen “The Avengers,” but based on what I know of superhero movies, one of the larger plot points always concerns the contradiction of the superhero’s regular-day identity and his/her superhero identity. For us, this is also a growing concern; it’s inevitable that our true selves will creep into our online alter egos. Which raises the question of the Guardian’s Aleks Krotoski, “which is more important, “authenticity, or anonymity?” Suleika Jaouad of NYTimes Blogs believes that “”in a world of social media, [where] we are our own self-portraitists…there’s a liberation in the type of public honesty you can engage in on social mediawriting. ”
But how much authenticity is too much? Do we want to reveal all that we are on the internet? With the rise in demand for online verification services such as the MiiCard, with the aim tor help you prove “I am who I say I am” and control your own digital identity, it is clear that too much authenticity/personal information can give an adversary the tools to disarm us (see Superman; kryptonite.)
But then, what of anonymity? Do we want our online presence to be that much different from our true selves? Are we ready to back up the things we do under pseudonyms, should our masks come off? Defamatory statements, even posted under fake names, are not protected as free speech. $13.8 million dollars was recently won by Mark and Rhonda Lesher in a case against “masked” internet trolls.
And though the Password Protection Act of 2012 is being introduced in order to better ensure your privacy in banning employers from demanding their employees’ Facebook passwords, there is no harm in being a mindful and careful online citizen. So get informed! Learn how to protect yourself, connect with others, publish your work, and work on your professional appearance in a safe and responsible way.
As Uncle Ben once told Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.” No words could be truer in our digital age today.
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