Expression

Online expression is unique for several reasons. It offers opportunities for people to express themselves more freely. Online expression is similar to physical expression because it is similarly protected under free speech rights. There are many ways to express yourself online, and most of them take the form of posts. The differences between online and in-person expression are further discussed in below.

Disinhibition
A common online phenomenon, called disinhibition, is defined as the lack of restraint felt when acting from behind the screen. It is mostly caused by the varying degrees of anonymity one feels online. One can be completely anonymous, sharing no personal information. This is a more rare form of anonymity on the internet. A more common form of anonymity is pseudonymity, in which someone may use a username that is not associated with their real identity. Disinhibition is caused by “dissociative anonymity, invisibility, asynchronicity, solipsistic introjection, dissociative imagination, minimization of status and authority, individual differences and predispositions, and shifts among intrapsychic constellations”. This essentially means that when posting online, we don’t act the same as we would in person. In this way, online expression presents different benefits and challenges than when expressing oneself in person.


 * You can choose how much information you reveal
 * Pro:  One is not required to share personal information that they would otherwise have to in person.  An example of this is that you don’t have to reveal your appearance online, removing the opportunity to judge someone based on their appearance.
 * Con:  This may lead to deceit .  For more information, read the authenticity section.  It can also lead to doxing--when someone leaks personal information about you.  This gives those who know your identity more power over your expression.
 * The online space lacks in social pressure
 * Pro:  It’s easier to voice an opinion without intimidating body language or social queues.  An example of this is an introvert’s willingness to volunteer in an online class rather than in the classroom.
 * Con:  One might be more inclined to act out of character, potentially leading to more regrettable posts.
 * There is a lack of accountability for the information one is posting.
 * Pro:  One might feel freer to express controversial opinions that would otherwise damage their reputation.  Possible implications include whistleblowing or criticizing those in power with less fear of negative consequences.
 * Con:  There are fewer consequences for illegal or offensive posts if the offender’s identity is not known.

Consequences of Anonymity & Disinhibition
Social media and the Internet’s ability to provide a way to express oneself is incredibly crucial, but the element of disinhibition makes way for people to express insulting feelings towards others. With the combination of disinhibition and the internet being so readily available/accessible, people are easily able to spread hateful messages behind the protection of a screen. Additionally, the option to be anonymous across social media and other platforms further incline people to spread hate as they are not able to be exposed and targeted in return.

This can be frequently seen within school environments, Students can easily take to the internet to spread harmful messages about fellow students and even teachers. Careless behavior like this can cause emotional pain and worry of varying degrees, and schools are sometimes unable to combat this. In one case, students cyberbullied a teacher, causing her to have a meltdown during class. Students recorded the entire event and posted it to YouTube. This later resulted in the teacher having a nervous breakdown and being sent to the hospital. The anonymity factor also makes it difficult for schools to discipline students accordingly.

Additionally, political party supporters have taken to the internet to express their views and spread information. And with the polarization of political parties in recent years, people are inclined to participate in less-than-civil online arguments that often resort to insulting the individual rather than having mature conversations concerning political views.

One study has found that in an online game, “anonymous participants reported a higher temptation to aggress against the other players through usage of various antisocial behaviors”. Due to the effects of disinhibition, this does not necessarily mean that the study participants who responded this way were generally more aggressive people. They would not have necessarily made the same decision in a face-to-face interaction; they would have felt less accountable for the aggression and its effects on its victims.

One of the biggest barriers to successful formation of online communities is the negative consequences of disinhibition, including cyber-bullying, doxing, and prevalence of criminal and hateful posts. Despite these negative consequences, it is essential to protect online anonymity due to the many advantages it offers. These advantages are discussed more in the Identity and Information page (linked below). In order to minimize the harmful effects of anonymity and disinhibition online, there are measures that can be taken. If you are looking to establish a more wholesome and genuine online community, it is useful to create a sense of accountability when anonymity and disinhibition have reduced it. One way to promote this is by implementing a degree of “registration,” exclusivity, verification, rating/reputation accountability, and initial/ongoing communication between moderator and member. While a membership system will not completely mitigate disruption of a healthy community, it “works to limit the disinhibitory effects of online behavior—or at least some of the more negative ones—and creates a subtle but important psychological difference between an anonymous visitor and a known community member”.

True self
What is the true self? It turns out that there are multiple views across cultures but a universal view is that the true self is someone we see in ourselves and in other people, according to Strohminger. In expression of the true self, one is presenting themselves most authentically. In the context of online communities, we may be more inclined to be more deceitful and thus less authentic or more authentic and a more pure expression, according to Bargh. In the online space, anonymity is a large contributing factor to how one expresses oneself. It’s important that we don’t stray too far from our true selves since expression of the true self has shown it’s importance in relationships with other users.

Our true selves are fundamentally based on our sameness and our continuity of events over time. This is what composes our values, temperament, and inclinations. These components are present in our digital and real life personas and this is what we commonly perceive to be our true selves. It’s important to be authentic in digital communities in order to move a community forward but also the individuals growth as well. At times it may be difficult to be one’s true self due to how many factors and biases can influence one’s decision, one may question if anything they do at all is entirely authentic. This question can be answered by the concept of our species and how we build off of one another in order to move forward in any particular direction.

Inauthenticity
Despite our best efforts to present an authentic self on digital media, the platform itself tends to have a reputation for being inherently deceitful. One study done on greenwashing revealed that, despite oil companies attempting to draw millennials and Gen Zs back to a slowly dying industry by using social media campaigns to present a front of clean energy/production, the younger generations were not duped Because Gen Z and millennials grew up with digital media, they are less likely to accept attempts at greenwashing because they know how easy it is to lie on the internet. Thus, we can see that digital media has a reputation for deceit. Something interesting to think about is that despite social media and digital media in general having a reputation of being deceitful, society is still addicted to it. If the public continues to embrace the dishonest side of digital media, it begs the question of whether that facade will continue over into real life. As people become more and more comfortable creating a second persona to present online, they may begin to lose their real selves.

Another issue with inauthenticity in digital media is the negative effects of fake and edited pictures. All over social media platforms people post pictures of themselves, but usually these photos have been edited in some way. It has become the norm to edit pictures before posting them, and often feeling that a picture isn’t “worth” posting. Some users feel uncomfortable posting pictures that aren’t edited, and that says a lot about social media’s stance on authenticity. Instead of uploading what we want others to see, we upload what we think will be most supported by others. The stereotypical scenario of spending a long time editing a photo, and second-guessing if it should be posted, is very real and extremely detrimental. The research completed on social media’s negative impact on body image provides statistics supporting the idea that there is a real issue of authenticity on digital platforms. There are different ways to combat this growing issue, but both the support of users and platforms is required. If social media platforms became less high-pressured, more people could freely post what they wished.

Why This Matters
There are several things at stake when it comes to online expression.

First, the issue of freedom of expression is a prominent one. One must take into account how censorship affects the way one can express themselves online, and how anonymity affects this as well. Anonymity and pseudonymity can also be useful tools in expressing controversial opinions or sharing experiences that would otherwise be difficult or threatening to say in an in-person space.

Second, the way we are disinhibited online affects our behavior, and further affects our image. For example, because of the detachment from reality that we feel online, we may make more regrettable decisions. It is important to be aware of these differences in behavior so that we can avoid making rash decisions, as well as interpret others' posts in this context.

Thirdly, authenticity is how original and close to one's system of beliefs a piece of content is, in light of external factors. Individually this is important because it provides a sense of self validation which builds character and confidence. In the perspective of the community, authenticity helps move a community forward and keeps a general sense of freshness in the atmosphere.

Related Pages
Identity and Information

Body Image