Anonymity: How are we presenting ourselves online?

With a Subtitle: Are we full of hypocrisy or in line with God?

A brief Excerpt: Are we full of hypocrisy or in line with God?

The Author is: Jane Isley

Are we doing enough to protect ourselves against the risks that online anonymity can pose to our faith and well-being?

“How Does Anonymity Affect Behavior.” This is a great and thorough article, and I’ll be referencing this article throughout mine, and I recommend reading it as well.

I looked into this because I saw a post with a simple question about something in the Bible. I got the impression they were a new Christian, and the question was simple. They were asking about Noah and something to the effect of if we thought he took eggs onto the ark in some cases to save space.

An honest question, and a good one to create some fun, light-hearted, and encouraging conversation. But, not surprisingly, their question received cruel, sarcastic, and degrading responses from other Christians, with a mix of some positive and encouraging responses in there. I’d rank it as a 60/40 situation in terms of the responses I read through. 

That is what got me curious about anonymity. How it gets abused and used as a weapon, and especially how it affects us in our personal lives. 

“The shield of anonymity can embolden individuals to engage in harmful behaviors online, such as harassment or deliberately provocative actions. Without the fear of personal consequences, some users feel free to express extreme views or target others with hurtful comments. This behavior can have severe psychological impacts on victims and can poison online communities.”

“Deindividuation theory suggests that anonymity can lead to a loss of individual identity and self-awareness.”

“This can result in decreased adherence to social norms and increased likelihood of engaging in behaviors that would typically be inhibited.”