After reading so much about anonymity, it really got me thinking. Before reading these articles, I thought that people who used anonymous identities were probably up to no good. If they could not show who they were, they were probably going to do something that would upset people. After reading the article "Anonymity Online Serves Us All", by Gabriella Coleman, she made an important statement that I never really thought of before. She stated that people find comfort in anonymity when discussing touchy or personal subjects. I realized that her statement is extremely accurate. The anonymous persona they obtain allows them to discuss their feelings and views on touchy subjects without having any backlash. For women who were victims of rape or other abuse, it is especially not easy or possibly safe to talk about their situation without their anonymous persona. Without anonymity, it would be difficult for people to truly express themselves. Without the true expressions of others, how are we supposed to know about the opinions of the public, along with how they think and feel on specific subjects. As stated by Coleman about anonymity, "At its best, it puts the attention on the message, rather than the messenger."
Furthermore, I feel anonymity should not be taken away due to the actions of the few who are using it inappropriately. There is no need to punish the people who are using anonymity properly and respectively. There should be more restrictions on those who are using their anonymous persona in the wrong way. However, these restrictions are not likely to be made. The makers of these social media sites and apps are not a part of the community and groups that are being trolled and attacked as stated in the article "Women and Minorities as Targets" by Kristy Tillman. These creators do not care about these trolls because they are not being affected by it. Luckily, with more sites being allowed to self-police as a community, it allows many to stay anonymous for the right reasons. Anonymity is beneficial, when used correctly.
I disagree because the word anonymously has created many negative image. For example, trolls and Cyber bullying. According to my research Cyber bullying affects many adolescents and teens on a daily basis. And a women who were rape and it might be difficult for them to express there emotional feelings towards someone. Your result was "possibly safe to talk about their situation without their anonymous persona" correct will there are many other ways to talk to someone else knowing they can be trust. For instance, a therapy or you're parents.
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DeleteI don't agree that being anonymous is necessarily "negative". It's only negative if a person chooses to make it that way. Anonymity was created for the purpose of protecting a person's identity through social media, not for the purpose of trolling and cyber bullying. Of course there will always be a certain amount of individuals who decide to use it for the wrong purpose, but I don't think it should be taken away from people who are using it appropriately. I agree with the post by stating that there should be more restrictions towards anonymous accounts that are taking advantage of their anonymity to troll and cyber bully.
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