Internet Coming Out Party
I’ve moved….
Here’s why:
When I was an intern at the Berkman Center, I used to contributed regularly to the Digital Natives blog. In retrospect I was — and still would be now — totally unqualified to be the Internet mouthpiece of the project I represented, and I’m surprised the good people at Berkman trusted me with the gig. And for that I have much to thank them. The experience, along with another paid blogging job I did concurrently, made me realize how difficult it is to be a good blogger and a good writer. I’m afraid to read some of the posts I wrote as a freshman and sophomore, but the thoughts running through my head now reminded me on an old post. “What’s in a name?” it asked, and it explored my reluctance to use my real name online.
In the world of social media, your identity – your real name – has value. I mean this completely uncynically: your name is a brand…Part of my reluctance to define myself online is related to me grappling with my own shifting identities as a young adult. How do I tell others who I am when I’m not even completely sure of it myself? One of the first legitimate Google hits on my real name is a bio page for an internship I did the summer after my freshman year. The bio, which I wrote as a freshman„ is now completely outdated, listing a different major, activities, etc. In the same vein, my Xanga posts from middle school or Livejournal posts from high school and the other various “blogs” I kept throughout the years reflect a very different person from who I am today. My attitudes and interests change, and I don’t necessarily want my teenage self to exist as a digital representation of myself or future employers.
Ah but I am no longer a teenager now, and my identify is slightly less in flux. This new tumblr name reflects an attempt to reconcile my digital identity with my real life one, a move that is possible because I have, to a certain extent, begun to figure out myself. I am no longer afraid of embarrasing myself online.
When I first started this tumblr, I never imagined — only outlandishly hoped — that any strangers would be interested in my “brain splatter.” Undoubtedly, my audience is still very modest, but the fact that I even have one is encouragement enough. This tumblr has been more important in my self-development than any of you probably realize.
So, thank you.
Please stick around — I am happy to have you here.
