[Air-L] Food updates/Presentation of Authentic Self

[RBerkman at aol.com]

Re: authenticity of  the presentation of a more"true/actual self" on 
Facebook. 

There has been an interesting debate in some circles as to whether or not 
one is more honest and an accurate portrayal of self on a site like Facebook 
where there is a high level of authentication versus Twitter where there is 
little to none. Some say that because in an authenticated site one is more 
accountable for their words, that therefore one is going to be more honest 
and present more who they "really are". (This is important for market 
researchers in particular who want to have some higher level of assurance that who 
they are reaching is who they *think/assume*  they are reaching). But others 
have presented a counter argument that the possibility of being anonymous 
and NON-accountable on a site like Twitter actually frees a person up to be 
more honest and "who they really are" since they don't have to be worried 
about "who is looking"....

Robert Berkman
Associate Professor, Media Studies
The New School