Fanaticism in a Virtual World

I've been witness to some interesting events of late--and there was one concept that impressed me.

The Power of Anonymity.

The internet, by it's very nature, provides an excellent resource for the human race.  Yet, there still remains a sense of separation inherent to the very manner in which we access this now "indispensable" social and economical recourse.  It is this physical separation that not only effects the convenience and value of this medium but is it's biggest downfall.  This separation instills a sense of non-humanity in the person utilizing the internet, they feel automatically disconnected, and yet connected at the same time.  They now feel 100% anonymous, as long as they don't pin their name to anything and use pseudonyms and aliases to protect their identity.

ASIDE: I call this anonymity false because it really is a deception--if an investigating agency or an organization to which you have associated yourself desires, for good cause, to identify it's Anonymous users, it certainly has recourse (of course legal and illegal both) to flush out who you are, at least within 2-3 degrees of connection at very least. All they would have to do is a little virtual footwork.

People consistently utilize the false-anonymity of the internet and computer accessed resources to behave larger, greater, or more passionate about things than they really are or to an extent greater than they would normally express in their real life.  Getting worked up over a virtual social event, using fouler language in text than would ever escape their lips, performing digital actions that dramatically skew their moral compass, assuming the identity of a fictional persona unrepresentative of themselves.

While these things can be entertaining, enriching, and morally harmless in moderation, the moment that our life becomes driven and affected by these digital forces--that is when and where a problem can develop.

The bottom line appears to be escapism.  I'm a huge fan of escapism and being able to do realistic things in a digital world that would be impossible in the real one--but there are certain social and moral lines that are criss-crossed, blurred, and even erased by virtual communities, games, and social networking that I believe are degrading our quality of life.

When will the real world once again reclaim the centerpiece of our lives?

When we take a step back, breath, and let it do so.