Let's Talk About Anonymity on the Internet

There is a pervasive belief that what people are willing to say and do behind the mask of anonymity on the internet is vastly different from what they are willing to say and do when face-to-face with those affected by their actions. While I acknowledge there is some truth to that idea (I’m writing under a pseudonym after all), believing that there is a Grand Canyon divide between who we are online and who we are in our real lives can be extremely dangerous. In reality, that divide tends to be more akin to sidewalk crack.

Anonymity on the internet doesn't have to be bad. Tressie McMillan Cottom points out in an interview for Logic that when used right, “all of these [social media] platforms have the potential to be pedagogical tools.” However, while various internet platforms may be useful for the classroom, there is still an inherent danger to having students discuss sensitive topics in such public spaces, which is why in Cottom’s classrooms students are encouraged to use aliases. The internet can also provide a space for kids and teenagers to discuss sensitive topics. Ysable Gerrard points out in her own interview with Logic that “much of [the internet’s] power comes from the ability for people to use a pseudonym on a major platform like Instagram to talk about depression.” Platforms like Whisper or Secret (released in 2012 and 2014 respectively… I feel old) create spaces for kids to ask questions about sex, identity, and puberty, that they just can’t bring themselves to ask someone face to face.

However, when dangerous extremists start using alternate identities to spread disinformation and disingenuous campaigns, we all need to take a long hard look at how anonymity on the internet can help hide real-life hate. We now live in a world where white supremacists can masquerade as black feminists to run fake social media campaigns. Where predators can stalk victims on social media and dating apps. Where a president can gaslight a country with 2 AM tweets (a fact Twitter made abundantly clear when they banned Donald Trump from their platform after the January 6th riots “due to the risk of further incitement of violence”).

But we also live in a world where Shafiqah Hudson and I’Nasah Crockett can uncover and expose harmful campaigns like #EndFathersDay. Where virtual “Walk-me-home” apps can help keep young women safe. Where TikTokers can organize the requisition of thousands of political rally tickets, only to skip the event in a no-show protest. There’s a lot to hate about the internet, but there’s a lot to love.

Like everything about the internet, anonymity is both good and bad at the same time. It allows for unique learning opportunities and safe spaces for kids, but it can also provide the catalyst for dangerous and harmful movements. The key to deciphering when anonymity is good lies in an understanding of the fact that an anonymous internet user is still a real-life person. And what they are saying and doing on the internet is an extension of who they are. If someone is anonymously reaching out on a social media platform to talk about depression, chances are they have experience with depression. If someone is making racist jokes, chances are they are racist. And if someone is writing a blog about anonymity on the internet, chances are they have some opinions about it.

@CrazyGrazy98