Identity Crisis?

It used to be I would only log online to check my email. Then I started blogging. Then I added social networking sites. And now I tweet too.



Now, the emailing has largely fallen off except to people who are not into blogging, don't belong to social networking sites and have no idea what a tweet is. I don't mind this, really. Actually, the blogging and social networking site (one word, starts with an f) help me to communicate quickly with a much larger number of people who want info. I gave into peer pressure about twitter, but it's quick and short and very to the point.



I've been reading a lot lately about how everyone is commenting on how these electronic communications are either a necessity in today's world or the downfall of humanity. In response to the Pope speaking out about facebook, one friend shared this.

I think that online there is a sense of creating your own identity and reality. However, I resist that. Not that I think I am sooo interesting that I couldn't use some "creative improvement" :). It's just that creating an alternate universe is too time consuming and confusing for me. If I could be confused about what is real and what is fake about myself, just think about what it would do to everyone else.

But my even being online is confusing to some. For example, there are the members of my family who refuse to do any more than barely email. They do not understand that the Kristen of social networking is the Kristen of the phone or snail mail, just more efficient. One member of my husband's family despises computers and the internet. This person complained to my husband recently that because we are online we don't call enough or send enough pictures. Now, to be fair, this person calls us far fewer times than we call him or her. And the pictures this person would like are studio pictures which we feel are a tremendous waste of time and money. I could understand if this person was upset because we never, ever called or shared pictures, but that simply isn't the truth. We print and send candids (and a scan of my last ultrasound) and my husband calls at least every other week if not more frequently.

So what are we to do? As long as you don't lose your identity online, my theory is to keep on keeping on. Someone will always dislike technology and some may never understand it, but if it keeps you in touch with most of your world, there is nothing wrong with that. And when I can spend fifteen more minutes with my kids because I posted an ultrasound picture to the web vs making copies and mailing them, well, then technology is ok by me.