Our Digital Selves

My first screen name was ToughChc4. ToughChc because obviously I was a Touch Chick, 4 because...I don't know why 4. There is absolutely no reason for me to have chosen 4; 4 is not one of my numbers. Because ToughChc1,2, and 3 were taken? Maybe? We'll go with that.

'Our Digital Selves' sounds like the name of an art show I've attended. Hell, maybe I have. But I can't think of it so I'll use this until I get sued. Last month one of my pieces was published on Thought Catalog. so far, I'd believed this writing thing to be a frivolous entertainment. Writing because I simply must write. I do it because it frees my soul, but don't let yourself be fooled. I do this because I want to become wondrous and write a piece to tickle all the nerves inside your brain and make a whole hell of a lot of money in the process. And with my first outside publication I thought, "What if I could actually do this?"

My next thought was, "Oh god, what if people know who I am?!" (I've no interest in fame other than to get your money.)

First I was ToughChc4. For a short bit, I was Boggingurl. Then I moved on to Silence_Is_Golden for a spit. In early college, I became Iamscientiste. In later college, I became TheChemistress and that's where I live now. Facebook was intersting because it was the first social media website that made you use your name. At the beginning it was lax, but time drove them to become more strict. On Facebook, you are you. No longer do you hide behind a screen name -or a fake name.

But I kind of want to hide. You're always warned to "Take down those party pictures!" in case employers investigate you on Facebook beforehand. Then again, have no social media presence and they're suspicious because if you're not online, what do you have to hide? People now get fired over what they say online. I don't know how I feel about that. On the one hand, most of the articles I've been about people getting fired for social media posts have been outrageously offensive, racist and homophobic, problems I can't see myself getting into. On the other, you never know. Milo Yiannopoulos was fired for his seditious comments. Certainly I won't condone pedophilia (or Milo obviously), but his comments were based off his own experience. Where does it land to get fired for talking about your life and your interpretation of it? How is that any different that what I do here?

With social media, the walls come down between public and private. It never used to be a problem because you couldn't broadcast to millions of people. They'd never know or care. Now I can communicate with someone across the world in an instant. Effective communication requires a deft hand, and people get it wrong continuously. IF I'm going to do this, I'd better get good.

For now, I'll install a wall albeit thin. I've been sharing this with all my Facebook friends. But if I grow, I don't want people I don't know to know me. The Facebook me isn't even me as my true self, but it is currently me as a representative for my writing. Let's make that a different person and solidify this alter ego.