Sherry Turkle's "Identity Crisis" explores the impact virtual identities have on our perceptions of real life. Turkle points out that, as opposed to the stability craved by generations past, what matters most to our society is "the ability to adapt and change" (78). Turkle's essay explores how creating online personalities can help us become more open to the changing environment that we live in.

Part of Turkle's theory is that, by creating online personalities, we allow ourselves to face facets of our psyche that we might otherwise try to push away. She recognizes that someone new to creating an online personality may "at first feel anguish at what they sense as a breakdown of identity" (80). Turkle suggests creating a home page full of "virtual objects that correspond to one's own interests" (81) in an effort to feel more at home online. From there, as we venture farther into the web of the Internet, Turkle encourages the use of virtual identities to explore the different personalities we hide within ourselves. She argues that, if "people adopt an online persona they cross a boundary into highly charged territory" (82). It is within this territory that "people are being helped to develop ideas about identity as multiplicity by a new practice of identity as multiplicity in online life" (82). Turkle relates this argument to her point by stating that "the many manifestations of multiplicity in our culture, including the adoption of online personae, are contributing to a general reconsideration of traditional, unitary notions of identity" (83). Turkle believes that this "more fluid sense of self allows a greater capacity for acknowledging diversity," therefore allowing us to apply what we learn from our virtual selves to our non-virtual selves (83).

Turkle also alleges that, as we construct our online personalities, "We are in a position to be more aware of what we project into everyday life" (85). She implies that, by relating to others who have chosen similar virtual personalities, we are able to "try out new experiences" in preparation for experiences in real life (85). She asserts that an online personae can be used as a "space for growth" (85).

Turkle's arguments are well-researched, and she seems to have a lot of personal experience on her subject. It is difficult to argue against the points she makes because she makes them so well. I do wish she had fully examined how easy it is for people to abuse the power they attain through creating an online identity. For example, a pedophile could easily use an Internet personae to prey on potential victims by creating an identity that the victims relate to. If we continue to encourage the growth of virtual personalities, I think that we should also make sure we encourage people to treat these online personalities as the fantasies that they are. We should always encourage people to stay grounded in real life. It would be a shame if society started to prefer life online to life in real time.

Turkle, Sherry. "Identity Crisis." CyberReader. 2nd Ed. Ed. Victor J. Vitanza. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. 78-91.

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