Why are our online identities so different from our real ones?

“Most of us are consumed with our own thoughts and desires and are not always thinking of what other people may want. This is not necessarily being egocentric; it is just being human.”

Saying goes absolutely correct!! Despite our back breaking schedules; commitments; responsibilities or whatever to be named, we need sometime for ourselves. We need our space to breathe; our thoughts to be shared, to be understood and responded. The fact that humans need pampering can not be denied.

This is one of the reasons wherein at times we find our inclination more towards our virtual self rather than to our real me. It has its inception ages back. Mungeri Lal ke Haseen Sapne is the farthest I could think of. I don’t know how many of us still remember it but, it was one of the light hearted example on human desires.

Internet has always been a blessing. Right from sharing the boundary less knowledge; to continuous knowledge expansion; peer assists; game zones;social networking, it has an unrestricted space for one & all and for all age groups. Among all,Social Networking has always held its special place. Rediff bol from Rediff.com, Yahoo Messenger chat rooms, G-talk have been favorites for all. 

I remember during my childhood days when all these formats were popular. Availability of a laptop mostly a desktop in those days at every individual’s place was not so common and affording one was a luxury. That time Cafe’s cherished!! I can’t connect neither can recollect as to what made these things so catchy. Rediff bol had this “What’s your Avatar” concept. What was it that brought the thrill to actually create an Avatar? Why the hidden me? What was wrong in it? Why was it considered a crime to step into a chat room? Why that hawwww factor!!! 

Is that the reason why our online identities got separated from our real ones? Might be yes one of the reasons.

However; with changing times mindset has changed & technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.With the onset of smart phones; I-pads & other gadgets and the unending popularity of various social networking sites we stand on a global platform. People have become vocal and use these platforms not just as sheer friendship sites but also for expressing views on economy; politics; markets etc depending on taste. Damini case has been a protagonist example of how strong public has become and how efficiently the online identities are being utilized. It has become a part and parcel of our daily lives and is almost un-separable. 

Though we boast of the aforesaid incidents, advancements but, deep within ourselves, there still lies a hitch, a fear. Fear of our society; fear of our own family members and most importantly fear from our own self. Yes, it is true that, most of the times, it is because of our own fear we intend to move towards these fake identities. We find them as a protective shield to voice out our words without being identified. We find them as an easy way to get into the mind of others & observe the views. We can’t deny that the factor “Mindset" is un-separable. 

We claim India to be a developing country but the fact is we are ages behind. We consider ourselves as modern but the truth lies that our modernity has advanced its root in external appearance but the internal framework has yet not changed to the core. Till the time our mindset doesn't change we will have the same scenario. We would still have dual identities. And our online identities would always be separable from our real ones. 

However; the way Indian youth has emerged out in the recent past brings hope to all of us. The power; awareness and the efficiency that has been shown off late, un-masks our Emerging India. A ray appears wherein in our coming future we would not be requiring separable identities anymore.