MON REGRET / The Effect of Anonymity

I began to look around the web for sources which explain effects that anonymity can have. 

"Anonymity has also been shown to encourage participation; by promoting a greater sense of community identity, users don’t have to worry about standing out individually. Anonymity can also boost a certain kind of creative thinking and lead to improvements in problem-solving. In a study that examined student learning, the psychologists Ina Blau and Avner Caspi found that, while face-to-face interactions tended to provide greater satisfaction, in anonymous settings participation and risk-taking flourished."  source

I also found an interesting concept called the Online Disinhibition Effect, which explains that tthe use of electronic communications reduces the normal social restrictions one may have in physical conversation, through the invisibility and lack of authority online. This increases the likelihood that users may say things they normally would not, be it negative (hate comments, named toxic disinhibition by John Suler) would or positive, such as the increase of affectionate behaviour online (named benign dishibition by Suler). 

Suler names the six primary factors in why this happens: 

"You don't know me" 

Remaining anonymous, the person can't see who you really are. This protects the individual and acts as a mask, as without being able to trace their identity, users may feel able to say things they never would if they could be associated with it in real life. 

"You can't see me" 

Pictures and usernames don't have to have anything related to the person behind the screen. The internet removes social indications e.g tone of voice, expression.

"See you later"

Online, such as on forums, conversation does not take place in real time, with people replying months or weeks later. A person can post a cathartic emotional, hateful or embarrassing comment and then never have to look at it again by logging out and never visiting the page. However the asynchronous nature of the internet allows people to really think what they are saying, as you can easily press backspace, or not post something at all, which can't happen in real life.

"It's all in my head"

Because it's all online, a person can assign traits to who they are talking to, and rely on imagination. In real life you see who you are talking to. 

"It's just a game"

The internet can provide escapism, and according to research, many people see the internet as a game where normal rules don't apply to them. 

"Your rules don't apply here" 

Online communication has different social rules than real life, such as how a celebrity is treated. These things do not have much bearing online, and qualities such as communication, ideas, technical ability and persistence have more of an effect on status online. 

It is interesting to look at this in a more academic way, and notice the true effect of social interaction online. I think that anonymity can have many pluses, but is usually outweighed by the negatives such as bullying, hate comments and fraud. I'd like the project to celebrate the good in anonymity somehow and showcase how this can impact the user in a beneficial way.