Identiteetide suhestatus mängulisusega Rate.ee keskkonnas
Date
2007
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Under research were virtual identity users, who owned also a fake or parallel
identity. Research was conducted in two phases. First, there was a questionnaire and for
second interviews with selected users. Questionnaire was limited one hundred portal users,
who were using fake- or parallel identity, and ten interviewees were selected from the
answers of questionnaire, but they had to fit agegroup from 14 to 18 years. 52% of
questionnaires were answered and from them 58% testified using fake- or parallel identity
and 85% knew someone who has or had a fake identity. Relied to answers could be
concluded, that selection was sufficient.
From background check of users, who did not testify using fake identity, revealed
that accounts that copied famous people or shortly used or impolitely named accounts were
not considered as fakes. Reasons for that could be two, fake account is not considered as
account at all, or fake identity that comes with that account is not considered for real
existent, and therefore related to users “me”. Many research subjects tried to distance their
own personal identity and fake identity behaving in the way that they thought it could be
impossible to relate fake account to their own.
Even unconcerned action to deleting their fake identity showed marks of their
distance between fake and real identity. They did not care about those, but tried to protect
and were concerned what could happen to their real identity. When asked, how would they
react when someone used their personal data or picture to make a fake account, then nine
people out of ten felt it not proper and would react active, therefore feeling strong relation
with their real identity. Between fake identity and playfulness is a strong connection, fake
identity is created to conceal real identity, to play a joke on others or to communicate with
certain person, to irritate or to check him or her out. Socialization process is influenced
through playfulness, and therefore also identity creation (Furth, 1996). From gathered answers could be deduced, that users do not testify personal relations with fake
useraccounts in rate.ee portal, and thereby to account given identity, but
subconsciously acknowledge identityconnections through playfulness.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd, infoühiskond, sotsiaalne veeb, võrgusuhtlus, noored, identiteet, Internet, suhtlemine