While there are undoubtable those who present a totally fake persona on social media or online forums, I believe most people for the most part are true or open about who they are even if there is some minor alteration both for obvious privacy reasons, but more importantly to put one's best foot forward. So I'm not talking about any sort of purposefully deceptive stuff, but merely due to the fact of how has the anonymity of your online interactions made it easier to either downplay your real life negatives or express your opinion or feelings in a way that would prove more difficult in real life. In other words, how is your "online you" the most or least like the "real you"?
For myself, the most similarity is my sometimes dry, dark and sarcastic sense of humor. Pretty much what one sees in my writings online is what one gets in real life interactions. The only difference being that rather than a scattershot approach to a general (and anonymous) audience, I can tailor my humor to whatever family member, friend, work colleague or even stranger I am with at the time. This of course also allows me the option to refrain all together since I've found a few people who either don't have a sense of humor or just doesn't understand or appreciate mine.
I'm actually least like my online self when it comes to openness about discussing certain topics, particularly sex. Despite participating on websites devoted to sexuality and having been involved in the Lifestyle, I'm actually almost conservative and prudish when it comes to talking about such topics with anyone, no matter how close and comfortable I feel around them, other than my wife of course. In fact since both my wife and myself have always presented the facade of the most straight-laced couple, the times we both ran into co-workers (on different occasions) at swing clubs, they were shocked we actually would go to places like that.
So how alike/unlike are you to your real self on forums and social media and has it allowed you the freedom to be more different or open in certain areas you would never be in face-to face interactions?
For myself, the most similarity is my sometimes dry, dark and sarcastic sense of humor. Pretty much what one sees in my writings online is what one gets in real life interactions. The only difference being that rather than a scattershot approach to a general (and anonymous) audience, I can tailor my humor to whatever family member, friend, work colleague or even stranger I am with at the time. This of course also allows me the option to refrain all together since I've found a few people who either don't have a sense of humor or just doesn't understand or appreciate mine.
I'm actually least like my online self when it comes to openness about discussing certain topics, particularly sex. Despite participating on websites devoted to sexuality and having been involved in the Lifestyle, I'm actually almost conservative and prudish when it comes to talking about such topics with anyone, no matter how close and comfortable I feel around them, other than my wife of course. In fact since both my wife and myself have always presented the facade of the most straight-laced couple, the times we both ran into co-workers (on different occasions) at swing clubs, they were shocked we actually would go to places like that.
So how alike/unlike are you to your real self on forums and social media and has it allowed you the freedom to be more different or open in certain areas you would never be in face-to face interactions?