Online Identity

Having begun reading the book Born Digital by Palfrey and Gasser, I find it interesting that he tackles the 'mystery' of why so many young people choose to reveal so much public information on the internet, whereas digital immigrants (older people) are baffled by this. As I consider how much my students are willing to share with each other off the web, I see the search for identity that is ever present for young people, as a constant experimentation with pictures, friends, videoclips and attempts at a variety of different "personalities"--all of which are part of the same person. Perhaps through such a public search for who they are they want to find other, like-minded individuals and know they are not alone...