Disturbed……..

Reading Sherry Turkle’s discussion of identity in chat rooms and MUDs, I must admit I found the anecdotes concerning teenage/adult identity play disturbing.

Take ‘Doug’, for example, apparently an American college junior. Quite unlike the endearing cartoon character, he has four colourful personae across three MUDS: a seductive woman, a cowboy who describes himself as a “Marlboros rolled in the T-shirt sleeve kind of guy [no doubt not the Brokeback Mountain type]”, an undisclosed “sexual tourist” and finally, a genderless yet voyeuristic, eavesdropping rabbit named “Carrot”.

Then there’s the 21 year old virtual raper who ‘defends’ his violent characters as “something in me; but quite frankly I’d rather rape on MUDs where no harm is done.” (Turkle, 2001, p. 242).

Such uses of multiple personalities in MUDs clearly demonstrate antisocial bordering on insane behaviour. I don’t think it’s reasonable to assume, for example, that rape committed online is any less traumatic or that an urge to commit rape virtually is any less serious than an intention in reality.

Yet Turkle fails to acknowledge this, instead highlighting that “The anonymity of MUDs gives people the chance to express multiple and often unexplored aspects of the self, to play with their identity and try out new ones” (Turkle, 2001, p. 241).

While this is true, what are the chances of such behaviour translating into reality? There is at least a chance, I think, which indeed warrants emphasis for those unassuming surfers.

Did anyone else find such dangerous use of identity play just a little disturbing? Has anyone adopted or been victimised by similar identities? Has anyone committed or been subject to virtual rape? Are Doug and the virtual raper part of a minority?