You don't really know me, and I don't really know you. Instead, we are more than likely accustomed to the shiny online versions of one another. What do I mean by this? I mean that I present myself to be a certain way online, and you do too. Online, I have no problem going out of my way to comment and like posts from people that I would be far too shy to talk to in person—and definitely not blow them a kiss like the oh so popular kiss emoji. It isn't that I do not appreciate who they are in real life, and it isn't that I am not thinking kind things, but it is more so that I have a much braver face online than I ever could in the real world. This translates in many other ways as well.
Generally, people only post the best and worst 10% of their lives on the Internet. Grandma is in the hospital again. I got into a car accident. I was offered a promotion at my job. I managed to receive a 4.0 this semester. My significant other and I have an absolutely flawless relationship (or at least you can mask the natural trials and tribulations of sharing your life with another human easier when you are online). We are all guilty of it, and I think I finally have figured out why. When we post these extremely personal positively and negatively charged things, we evoke a fabricated deep emotion out of those who are viewing our posts. Whether it be sympathy, praise or even jealousy, we are acquiring large amounts of attention that perhaps we wouldn't receive otherwise.
It is not necessarily a bad thing to share with others online; in fact, it can be a wonderful way to inform people that you would like to keep in contact with that you do not see in your everyday life. The problem comes whenever we become infatuated with the person we present ourselves to be online. This extends even deeper when we form online relationships with others. By this, I don't mean the online dating relationships that are relatively common in today's world. I am referring to all of the so-so friendships that we build up with people that we have the opportunity to communicate with in real life. We become falsely close to people that we interact with online because we get to experience the highest and lowest moments with them.
People perceive me to be a certain way (for better or for worse) because of how I present myself online. I do the same thing to others. In reality, there are many parts of me, both wonderful and not so wonderful that you will come to know if you were to truly know me, the me that I am in real life. It is this way for every single person on the Internet, and that is so important to keep in mind when reading a blog, looking through photos and reading status updates. I will leave you with two pieces of advice. One is to be careful with the way you present yourself on the Internet, for people will remember you by it. The other is to interact with the people you find interesting online if you get the opportunity. You will probably find this fruitful in the long run.
