Who are you online?
Essential Question
How do you present yourself to the world
online and offline?
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to ...
➔ ‡reflect on the similarities and differences in how
people represent
➔ themselves online and offline.
➔ ‡understand that they might choose to show different
parts of themselves online, depending on context and
audience.
➔ ‡consider the risks and benefits of assuming different
personas online, and think critically about what it
means to be genuine in an online context.
Key Vocabulary
represent: to depict yourself to others
as being a certain way or having
particular characteristics
persona: an image and
personality that you show to
others.
Consider the following:
Does the way you represent yourself online
differ from the way you represent yourself
offline? What is similar and what is different
about your online and offline selves?
avatar: a graphic image that
represents a person online
AVATARS (Not the movie)
You are going to view various avatars and the
real people. Respond to each avatar and note
the similarities and differences between the
real people and their avatars.Be sure to
address characteristics beyond physical looks,
and remember that you should avoid passing
judgment or making fun of anyone’s avatar.
NAME Choi Seang Rak BORN 1971 OCCUPATION Academic LOCATION Seoul, South Korea AVATAR NAME Uroo Ahs
AVATAR CREATED 2004 GAME PLAYED Lineage II HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 8 CHARACTER TYPE Dwarf Warsmith
SPECIAL ABILITIES Craft siege weapons, whirlwind in battle
NAME Tommy D. Graves BORN 1978 OCCUPATION Bouncer, recording engineer, recording artist
LOCATION Bedford, Tex. AVATAR NAME War Catalyst AVATAR CREATED 2004 GAME PLAYED City of
Heroes HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 15 CHARACTER TYPE Electric blaster SPECIAL ABILITIES Flying,
enhanced stamina
NAME Jean-François de la Fage BORN 1979 OCCUPATION Journalist LOCATION Paris AVATAR NAME
Dark Freeman AVATAR CREATED 2005 GAME PLAYED City of Heroes HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 21
CHARACTER TYPE Natural hero SPECIAL ABILITIES Invincibility
NAME Ailin Graef BORN 1978 OCCUPATION Metaverse entrepreneur LOCATION Frankfurt AVATAR
NAME Anshe Chung AVATAR CREATED 2004 GAME PLAYED Second Life HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 30
NAME Lucas Shaw BORN 1985 OCCUPATION Student LOCATION Texas AVATAR NAME Gaenank AVATAR
CREATED 2003 GAME PLAYED EverQuest HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 55 CHARACTER TYPE Barbarian
berserker SPECIAL ABILITIES Dual wield
NAME Andreas Fischer BORN 1980 OCCUPATION Designer LOCATION Vienna AVATAR NAME
Zero Cold AVATAR CREATED 2005 GAME PLAYED City of Heroes HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME
17 CHARACTER TYPE Human SPECIAL ABILITIES Controls ice and storms
NAME Elizabeth Brown BORN 1979 OCCUPATION Junior network systems administrator LOCATION St. Charles,
Mo. AVATAR NAME Thalia AVATAR CREATED 2004 GAME PLAYED Hero’s Journey (in development) CHARACTER
TYPE Gearknight, wizard SPECIAL ABILITIES Godlike powers
NAME Jason Rowe BORN 1974 OCCUPATION None LOCATION Crosby, Tex. AVATAR NAME
Rurouni Kenshin AVATAR CREATED 2003 GAME PLAYED Star Wars Galaxies HOURS PER WEEK
IN-GAME 80 CHARACTER TYPE Human marksman, rifleman SPECIAL ABILITIES Ranged weapon
specialization
NAME Harisu BORN 1975 OCCUPATION Actress LOCATION Seoul, South Korea AVATAR NAME Not given
AVATAR CREATED 2003 GAME PLAYED Lineage II HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 13
NAME John Palmer BORN 1962 OCCUPATION I.T. consultant LOCATION Dorset, England AVATAR NAME
Zafu Diamond AVATAR CREATED 2005 GAME PLAYED Second Life HOURS PER WEEK IN-GAME 20
CHARACTER TYPE Buddhist monk SPECIAL ABILITIES Power hugs, ultimate wisdom
Real or Fake?
What do you think it means to be “real” or
“fake”?
Do you think it’s easier for people to be
“fake” online than in real life? Why or why
not?
Ramon’s Story – Being Real Online
Consider the following:
Some people exaggerate or seem very
different online than in person. How do you
explain these differences between their online
and in-person personas?
Are there risks for creating an online
presence that is very different than the offline
one? Are there benefits?
What are other reasons why people might
feel they can act in ways online that they
wouldn’t act offline?
Key Vocabulary:
anonymous: without a name or other
information that identifies who you are
inhibited: careful or restrained about your
actions or impulses
Are there any benefits to being anonymous
or being less inhibited online?
Are there risks involved with being anonymous
or less inhibited online?
Staying Real Online
In groups of two or by yourself, create one piece
of advice and design a role-playing exercise of
an online situation in which a student faces a
dilemma, and what would happen if that student
does or does not follow the advice. (See my
webpage for example and google drive)
-Share with me
-Save as LastNameFirstInital_Advice
Avatars
Create three avatars of themselves for three different social networks:
1. A school social network where teachers, students, and parents communicate
2.A social network where you connect mainly with friends and people you know
3. Second Life (www.secondlife.com), where you communicate mainly with people you don’t know in
real life
You will create these through a Google Presentation with each slide representing each social network
site. You DO NOT have to really create these accounts. For each avatar write a 5 sentence
explanation about why you decided on the certain aspects of your avatar. (see sample on my
webpage)
USE THESE SITES FOR YOUR AVATAR:
Build Your Wild Self (www.buildyourwildself.com)--will copy and paste avatar in presentation; need
to click print so that you can copy and paste (DO NOT PRINT AVATAR); email may not work
--Build avatar then click ok I’m done; click print in order to copy and paste
Marvel Create Your Own Superhero (www.marvel.com/games/play/31/create_your_
own_superhero).--will email avatar to me (email to a friend); in the message type your explanation