Portland State University Different Sides of Our Identity Discussion a. People often talk about “identity” as if it is a tangible, and fixed thing. However

Portland State University Different Sides of Our Identity Discussion a. People often talk about “identity” as if it is a tangible, and fixed thing. However, many scholars believe that our identity is changeable and multi-faceted. For example, you might be a different person when with your friends than with your family; or you could have a side of you that is competitive and loves sports yet also have a different side that loves art and classical music. Many people speculate about how the Internet and mediated communication allows us to explore different sides of our identity. Is it deceptive to portray yourself online in a way that is not entirely consistent with your offline identity? Or, is it okay to display different aspects of your identity in different settings (both online and offline)? Is there a magic line that distinguishes between what is okay and what is not okay? What are some reasons that altering one’s identity might be considered a negative thing, and in what ways/situations might it be positive? Please explain in light of course readings and your own experiences/thoughts.b. Use concepts from the course readings to help illustrate your personal experiences with self-presentation online. Some example questions that you might want to consider include: how often and in what instances do you think about self-presentation of your identity when using CMC? What are some of the ethical considerations/implications what role does netiquette play in self-presentation? What should we keep in mind as guidelines for portraying our “selves” or our “identities” online? c. Even though CMC does not provide many of the social/nonverbal cues that are present in FtF communication, we still manage to form some sort of perception or image of each other based on the limited cues that are available. This is important because our perceptions of others influence the way we interact and communicate with them. Discuss some of the symbolic markers/cues you use to make assumptions about your interactional partners’ identities when using text-based CMC such as email and discussion boards. In other words, how do you attempt to gather impressions about people when you don’t have a whole lot of cues to go on? You might think about your instructors and classmates in this course or other online courses you have taken (you probably haven’t met me… but you probably have formed some image of me in your head that might or might not be correct). Also think about other people you have met or encounter while interacting online for work or pleasure (either in chat rooms, boards, email, etc). Bring in the readings and your own experiences/examples. Are your online impressions usually accurate or do you tend to discover that you misread people’s identity based on their online communication?350 words Due by July 19