Manipulation of self in cyberspace

Cyberspace can be a liberating space in which individuals can live out their fantasies, find love, and overcome their social anxieties. The cyber-world is a space in which individuals can be creative in their constructions of self, and in so doing can learn more about who they really are. Nonetheless, there is also a dark side to interpersonal communication in cyberspace. Creating new personas and living out different selves online is not necessarily a positive experience for the individual reconstructing self or the audiences of that self. Although acknowledging the positive side to online relating, in this chapter I focus on the problems that can arise with self-presentations in cyberspace. I do so by looking first at how individuals establish relationships online and the difficulties in continuing a relationship offline when there is a discrepancy between the online self and the offline self. I then turn to consider cyber-affairs and question whether these can have a real impact on the primary relationship. The seductive appeal of online affairs is also examined. Finally, I focus on cyber-harassment, looking at examples of cyber-harassment in the workplace as well as more severe forms of online harassment.