Psychology for the way the internet mind thinks

[zippo]

are there any books on how we think when were on the internet? how we analyze, see, take, and act, respond, to other people on the internet? im just referring to communication through the interent, i suppose primarily on message boards where a same group of people interact almost daily, the closest situation that imitates real life.

because we definetly cant have the same psychological reasoning we go through in real life. and this goes mainly for people who interact through the internet constantly with the same group of people, who can therefore build a possible defined "internet psychology" through the months or years.

something a comparative experiment between real life semi long-term relationships and internet semi long-term relationships could give us for example. whats included or missing in one or the other. what do we get more of from one or the other.

[ericlee]

I'd be somewhere in chapter four titled Ignore this poster..

[kll]

alruggs and i are writing the book

[paulb]

are there books on this stuff? i have no clue. but you raise an interesting point. I bet alot of people on these boards act highly differently than they would be real life. I mean, their are no restrictions on a message board, while when you're amongst "real people" you have to act in some sort of way.

[kleptomaniac]

i bet all you "older people" wouldn't treat me so bad if we ever met in person! (and if you did...you're kinda mean, y'know :rolleyes: )

[zippo]

I bet alot of people on these boards act highly differently than they would be real life.

probably, but not just the fact that people act differently, i mean, that would be one chapter,but more on the fact that we might build a different way of thinking when were interacting on the internet, a different way of thinking when were communicating online as a opposed to real life i mean. like, we have zippo´s real life psychological interaction and analysis and zippo´s internet psych. interaction and analysis, not neccesarily meaning were hiding or changing some part of our personality.

[apparatus]

When talking to internet friends, it's easier to withdraw attention or affection without the other person getting so upset about it. Relationships "float" more in my experience.

[monkey]

im sure there are different personalities and different ways of demonstating oneself, just as in real life. it gives certain people more power, and certain people less, and some care and some dont...

it's an interesting topic. i wouldnt research it cause it would bore me to tears, but it would be interesting to read your results if you decided to write it. :p

[TurdBerglar]

im pretty much the same person here as i am in real life. the only difference is that you people seem to percieve me differently, but not as differently as it use to be. now im just an ass and not an asshole is seems. the majority of you fuckers have lightened up quite a bit.

[kleptomaniac]

you're a lot more open to people you meet on the internet. at least that's how it is with me, who's not a "people" person, i guess....

[ToucanSpam]

I don't think there's any definite personality types for the net. We can be whatever we want, or be percieved in whatever way someone else sees fit. I'm almost nothing like what I am on this board in real life, so how can you psyco-analyze me when you get a very tiny portion of what's real and an enormous amount of what's just messing around?

[kleptomaniac]

i'm actually a very quiet person. and i'm less sarcastic really.....


y'all can believe that, can't you?

[zippo]

When talking to internet friends, it's easier to withdraw attention or affection without the other person getting so upset about it.

things like this,for example. what do you mean exactly, more thoroughly?

and there can be no right or wrong answers here, its all feelings and observation. its the repeated ones were looking for.

[fucktopgirl]

probably, but not just the fact that people act differently, i mean, that would be one chapter,but more on the fact that we might build a different way of thinking when were interacting on the internet, a different way of thinking when were communicating online as a opposed to real life i mean. like, we have zippo´s real life psychological interaction and analysis and zippo´s internet psych. interaction and analysis, not neccesarily meaning were hiding or changing some part of our personality.


i dont know about that!i mean the way we process information does not really changed,not for me anyway,I believe your psyche stay the same .The context of interaction changed though , the internet communication is purely the one of the mind,there is no physical distraction. So its only the world of the mind,toughs and vibes! Anyway the context its pretty fucking weird,that is for shure!

[TurdBerglar]

you can be more open on the net about shit that you might not want to reveal to people you need to actaully face day to day. who cares what a bunch of internet assholes thinks about you?

[kleptomaniac]

yeah i had an internet relationship (don't talk to him anymore, but he'll still IM me if he knows i'm online....so i gotta use the invis thing)

we've talked online, talked on the phone, but never saw each other in person. (he never even saw a picture of me) suddenly he's saying how much he loves me and how he'd kill himself if anything ever happened to me....


:confused: i mean....he didn't even know me for very long....it's just weird how people get about these things......

internet relationships = (n)

find someone who actually lives in the same town or something :rolleyes:

[zippo]

the internet communication is purely the one of the mind,there is no physical distraction. So its only the world of the mind,toughs and vibes!

i wonder if the people who communicate through message boards more, after years of "internet thinking", develop a part of the brain more, or a trait, a psychological factor.

[fucktopgirl]

i wonder if the people who communicate through message boards more, after years of "internet thinking", develop a part of the brain more, or a trait, a psychological factor.


hum,,,maybe some kind of quickness of the toughs,,mental lucidity or mental insanity?

[zippo]

quickness of the (written) mind, yes (i remember the Gooch made an interesting thread on this asking if maybe most of us were from a text-oriented carreer), we have no non verbal communication to help us, we have to be more apt in our writing skills, have to be more direct in our writing, maybe more direct than we are in real life. that right there being an example of how we dont exactly communicate the same way we do in real life.

edit- meaning theres at least one reason to think theres a zippo reallife thinker and another zippo internet thinker

[timmie]

Obviousley people are different in many ways & hide/shy on a face to face value! where as communication within an email or forum is totally different! you can lie about your age, job & how you look etc.

So someone who is quiet on face value can be a complete nightmare when there in chatrooms! however, you can meet some fantastic people online & even meet them in person! & friendships can last for along time, emailing each other etc! but, some people might find this hard trying to meet or even speak to different people on a 1 to 1 or group. (then this is classified as been a nerd/geek) but within sociality today, the internet is classified as a "TOOL" & a working "tool" so the internet is the core of businesses

The top two reasons:

Email: They want to make communicating easier.
Information gathering via the world-wide web: The Internet is perceived to be a hassle-free and anonymous way to find information.
Other popular uses:

Internet Relay Chat - allows for live "conversations" with other users
Internet telephony - allows for voice conversations bypassing the traditional phone networks and long distance charges
Media streaming - video, voice, sound and music delivery

[fucktopgirl]

quickness of the (written) mind, yes (i remember the Gooch made an interesting thread on this asking if maybe most of us were from a text-oriented carreer), we have no non verbal communication to help us, we have to be more apt in our writing skills, have to be more direct in our writing, maybe more direct than we are in real life. that right there being an example of how we dont exactly communicate the same way we do in real life.

edit- meaning theres at least one reason to think theres a zippo reallife thinker and another zippo internet thinker


I THINK there is only one thinker but using different part of is brain to communicate!
Instead of using verbal communication ,we use writting,but you thoughs are the same,no?Its just that on the internet we focus only on words and thinking.Now i kinda repeat myself.Aside from people full of shit,i feel that is your essence with words!

[zippo]

dammit you all...i already said im not referring to the things we could change or hide in here from real life

[kleptomaniac]

Obviousley people are different in many ways & hide/shy on a face to face value! where as communication within an email or forum is totally different! you can lie about your age, job & how you look etc.


hmm......so what about you timmie? (if that's your real name!)

[timmie]

Lol....My real name is Timothy, But cut it short, Tim, so therefore people call me Timmy!! I dont really know why they call me timmie or timmy it reminds me of my childhood!! or maybe (as I'm 31) & I still look like a kid!! hence why I get asked for my ID when I buy beer, I take it as a compliment! it must be the oil of olay that i use!! well hey, it must work!!

[Mr. Boomin'Granny]

everyone here is glib.

[Kid Presentable]

No, I pretty much act the same way. That's why I have no friends. If I could stop talking to me I would too.

[Nuzzolese]

I'm really interested in this and I'd read a book about it, if I ever found one. I'm not sure if there is one out there.

There are issues with power structures on the internet but they almost mimic the ones in person - people with superiority who have been in a place longer, know more savvy technique. The whole n00b thing. But in person a new person can come in and be a powerful force, it's harder to be accepted online for new people.

I think the skepticism and lack of trust is widened online because people could be anyone, the worst or best person imaginable. There's a larger space for the subjective self in online thinking. For the most part you are alone and expected to contribute a lot to get noticed, not just be there. It's much more self centered and self promoting online, the way you are expected to interact and contribute.

It's not so easy to do things for other people online, and doing so without being prompted is slightly suspect. While, in person, it's almost expected and certainly welcomed to reach out and be friendly and generous and open to get to know one another, to share things. There's less reserve maybe. I know people say they're more open online but there's a guard up to. I'm rambling.

[instigator7022]

i'm actually a very quiet person. and i'm less sarcastic really.....


y'all can believe that, can't you?


I'm quiet but more sarcastic in real life.

[Nuzzolese]

No one cares what you say you're like in real life compared to this, you're missing the point, numbskulls!

[instigator7022]

No one cares what you say you're like in real life compared to this, you're missing the point, numbskulls!


"numbskulls"
good word

[kleptomaniac]

whatever you say, nuzzskull

[kll]

I'm quiet but more sarcastic in real life.


that's interesting because i can't help but be sarcastic on here constantly...

[Nuzzolese]

whatever you say, nuzzskull

Why do you have to cut so deep?

[kleptomaniac]

Why do you have to cut so deep?


becuz it makes a cool sound

[zippo]

But in person a new person can come in and be a powerful force, it's harder to be accepted online for new people.

For the most part you are alone and expected to contribute a lot to get noticed, not just be there. It's much more self centered and self promoting online, the way you are expected to interact and contribute.

It's not so easy to do things for other people online, and doing so without being prompted is slightly suspect. While, in person, it's almost expected and certainly welcomed to reach out and be friendly and generous and open to get to know one another, to share things. There's less reserve maybe. I know people say they're more open online but there's a guard up to. I'm rambling.

awesome rambling

about the new person being accepted, the ones that are more "powerful", have more confidence, strong personality, etc, i dont know if its neccesarily more difficult for them to fit in "online". wheres theres a strong powerful person, in the end , i think theyre gonna get their way. that is, if thats what you were referring to exactly.

its funny how we always complain about how talking online somtimes doesnt permit us to perfectly communicate what were saying, especially when were talking about emotional things, like "yea but i wasnt saying it like that, you didnt see my expression", when we have more time to think about our answers before we type them. i think when talking about emotional issues, (maybe this happens more when were talking to people we already know personally) our point gets across better when were face to face rather than online. emotional issues like fighting, or explaining a breakup, talking about something thats worrying you, etc. maybe because when a conversation involves emotional issues, the listener is also strongly guided by the non-verbal communication the person is reflecting in their body, becuz its harder to "speak" or "explain" (fucking the internet over) emtional issues, put them into words.