Recently, after an interesting conversation with someone close to me, I came to realize that because of the non-anonymous nature of Steemit, there are things that people do/don’t do, say/don’t say, post/don’t post, and like (upvote)/not like (not upvote).
Your Account and You
Your account, in a way, shows who you are. If you’re serious about the platform, it most likely includes some level of personal information/detail about you, your life, and your interests. Many of us have read about Steemians meeting up in real life or have been those who have met Steemit friends IRL. This seems to be somewhat a normal thing to do here and I feel like that is because of the transparency some people have on their blogs. It’s easier in a way to trust someone online if you can get an idea of what they’re like, what they’re passionate about, their aspirations and goals, etc.
@biasnarrative and I actually met @polebird yesterday since we were in the city she lives in. She’s such a sweetheart and I’m thankful for Steemit for making this possible; the ability for people from the Midwest connecting with someone all the way down in Texas within a matter of weeks is pretty incredible.
On Steemit, we are associated with what we post, who we follow, who we resteem, who we upvote or flag, and who we interact with through comments or Steemit.chat/discord channels. Because of this, some people may want to keep everything PG because they don’t want their partner (or parents) knowing they follow @bustygirl111, @nudesfordays,
@buyillegalthings, @drugdealer420, etc. etc. (these are random names I came up with and any association with anyone is strictly coincidental) while others don’t really care about this and truly do whatever the f**k they want on here, just like they would on, say, reddit, 4chan, or real life.
Anonymity on Reddit
Since I brought up Reddit, let me discuss this a bit more. On a platform like Reddit, most people stay anonymous. If you’re familiar with the content on Reddit, you must know that there’s plenty of people who share things by staying anonymous or saying they created a “throwaway” account to post something just so they could make sure they stay completely anonymous. This may be for NSFW content, relationship advice, embarrassing pictures or stories, etc.
NSFW Content
Let’s take NSFW content as an example. Most people on Reddit don’t think twice about liking a NSFW post of a very attractive woman flaunting her breasts or a hot guy with really nice abs. Most people don’t care about commenting on a “hot” girl’s post and how much they appreciate this and that on her. Most people aren’t afraid of being identified if they share a relationship_advice post on Reddit as long as they make a new throwaway account.
All this is mainly because they have that anonymity wall that prevents them from being identified as someone’s father/mother/guardian, husband/wife/partner, boyfriend/girlfriend/partner, boss, coworker, colleague, therapist, physician, or even just friends.
Are You Less Likely to Post Certain Things vs. Others?
This makes me wonder how big the NSFW and NSFW-esque communities here on Steemit are. Is it as big as other platform where anonymity is easier to achieve? Do these tags have the potential to be as huge as, say, r/gonewild or something along those lines?
This makes me wonder if Steemit, with the blockchain foundation behind it, is missing out on some aspects of other platforms where users can stay anonymous.
Has this nature of Steemit made people think hard about what they post, upvote, resteem, and who they follow on here? OR, has this nature of Steemit actually helped people show who they are and truly not care about what others think of them as long as they are being genuine? After all, as humans, we tend to appreciate truthfulness and authenticity in people. At least I do…
People who want to pursue professions or passions that are looked down upon can pursue them without any shame or judgement because they truly are passionate about what they do. They believe that they can bring change in the platform/world and this may attract other like-minded people's support.
Could Non-Anonymity Be a Downside?
I see local community projects being successful through fund-raising from Steemit. I can definitely see versions of GoFundMe being successful by raising money through Steemit. It’s a brilliant way to be heard and get help from people all over the world as long as they have a good cause.
However, could the platform be lacking other areas of support for people, especially those requiring some level of anonymity like counseling, advice on relationships/legal issues, etc.? Anonymity to openly follow who someone wants to follow, what they want to comment on, what they want to say, what they want to express without being judged or shamed…
Steemit As a Professional Workplace
This just makes me think of Steemit as the “professional” version of social media platforms.
You can be whoever you want to be, dress however you want to dress up, use whatever kind of words you want to use, have whatever kind of opinion you want to have when you’re alone or with friends/family, but when you’re on Steemit, you almost follow certain “terms and conditions” to be successful… as if you’re at your workplace and you need to keep your boss/HR happy to keep the job.
As if people on Steemit are the professional versions of who they are on the internet. You could say you can do the same on Facebook but one has the ability to hide their friends list, their posts, their photos, and restrict who sees what on it. Not on Steemit though. Everything is out there and your reputation, your contribution, and the content of your posts are quite important to set up a good image on here. It’s also harder to make a new account and start back over unless you’re loaded to begin with.
Is Steemit Changing People’s Image On The Internet?
The non-anonymity may be a good push for some people to give their best and be their best on the internet. It could really help someone truly develop and grow with the right kind of support and motivation. If there’s passion, motivation, and hard-work, as far as I’ve seen, read, and heard people say on here, you will likely be successful!
Since Steemit is so strict about valuable content and true support, are we turning the nature of the internet around by helping people become a good versions of themselves on the internet, just like they would want to in real life? Are we helping people become more creative by pushing them to come up with original, thought-provoking content? Are we helping people think for themselves and come up with their own conclusions by rewarding good comments on posts?
Thoughts?
What do you guys think about the non-anonymous, permanent nature of Steemit? Do you think there are any downsides of it? Do you agree/disagree with the fact that people seem to portray the best versions of themselves on here as if it were more like a professional setting and less like a social media platform?
Credits: All images are from Pixabay.com
I really like the non-anon feel of Steem. I made more friends on Steem in my first week than my entire 2 years on Reddit... even when I was commenting on the daily cryptocurrency subreddit with pretty much the same people.
I like that everything is transparent on the blockchain and that everyone's wallets are open. I've worked for government before and it is super refreshing when everyone knows everyone's salaries. Most corporations have it stated in their policies that you aren't allowed to talk salary which means people often get paid less than their subordinates (for a variety of reasons) which breeds resentment.
I've absolutely self-censored myself on this platform, but I don't think that's such a bad thing... being nice, being supportive, being kind and being thoughtful all have a monetary insentive, which allows you to pay that forward... YT, Twitter and Reddit have devolved to the meanest comment getting the most attention... who benefits from that truly?
What I really like about Steem is that it makes people more productive... creating things is truly good for the soul, and now you can get paid, get attention, get tips to improve and now make real, true friends along the way.
Won't lie, totes jelly you and @polebird were in the same place and I was not. ... who is building Live Steeming?
A lot of the social media platforms and just internet in general is full of trolls and mean people. That's definitely rare on here. I say rare because I had a troll incident about a month ago haha
This. I mention this in the post as well. People are constantly pushed to work hard, put in good effort, and show morality on here. I love it. I can attest that I've been more aware of what I write and post on here. You get to learn about the real versions of people which is pretty amazing.
Haha, will have to hit you up if I'm in your city some day! :D
Oh, I meant to mention you can get an anonymous account created, it costs 5 Steem.
Ahh ok. So the fact that it costs money may make people stay away from making tons of spam accounts..
When I think of platforms like YouTube where the comment section is loaded with trolls, I am certainly grateful for the non-anonymous nature of Steemit. Having non consequences for what you do or say is most definitely a formula for unpleasant interactions. There needs to be some standard of conduct, and I believe that Steemit has a solid standard that is not too constricting or too loose.
I've personally always felt like I could be myself on here. On facebook, I never felt that way. Likely because all of my friends and family dwell in that space. On here, I feel like I can be who I really am.
Does that mean I'll lower my standards? Not at all, I enjoy understanding and being understood, so I'm always seeking to convey my ideas and messages in a way that's easy to interpret.
I've never really felt that my desire for creating professional looking content has anything to do with needing to be someone that I'm not - I just want to be heard and part of being heard and gaining credibility is through your daily actions and how you present those actions.
In the end, we'll likely never experience full authenticity on a social platform medium- that's what in person experiences are for. It's so cool to hear that you've been able to meet up with people from Steemit. I'm pretty new hear but in my facebook days, I met new people online and met up with a variety of them. So I assume that will be the case here as well.
Thanks for sharing this interesting article! Wishing you the best @cabernet :)
PS: I write all about empowered psychology and would love to hear your thoughts on my recent post: Psychology Of The Future: The Power Of Going Meta
Hey @axios! Thanks for such a thoughtful comment.
This is exactly how I feel. That's why Steemit just kinda of sucked me in once I started using it actively. I don't even get on FB or Insta much anymore. Seems vain and pointless almost...
True. There will always be some pressure to be perfect, have the perfect life, and the perfect social circle.
Honestly, I had NEVER met anyone that I know online in real life. This was the first time and it was an excellent first time meet up. @polebird happens to live where I plan on moving when I finish school so it worked out quite well. I'm sure you will find your niche as you spend more time on here. It's a small world :)
I will definitely check out your article!
That's so awesome! This is actually the second time someone has mentioned @polebird to me. I need to check her out. We actually have a pole in our living room lol. I also live in texas so I'm curious if she's close to Austin where I live!
Anyways, fully agree - this platform has taken me away from the BS of facebook and IG. Grateful to be here :)
I don't think I should share her personal info but reach out to her if you want. She's super nice :)
I did! - she seems purty awesome ;-)
Yea I think there are some downsides. I was just thinking about this. The positives of Facebook is you know who that person is and connect with them more on a personal level. I hope to have that here on Steemit also as everything else is so amazing! I don't want a half anonymous platform.
I am Matthew btw...Just to get things rolling, haha :)
Hi Matthew! Thanks for stopping by.
I feel like developing relationships with people here would be more on the professional, almost formal side vs personal. At least it'll start out that way. People's interest will connect people on here vs their circle of friends and family like on Facebook. But who knows, I'm sure there's people who will disagree. After all, I'm not active on Discord or Steemit.chat to really make a claim haha
Ya I could agree with you on that, it is more on interests. You should totally get on Discord. I love it there!
I definitely need to get on the chat rooms more :D need to find more people that have interests like mine so I can follow them!
Any tips or recommendations you ever need just let me know. Following you @cabernet!
Thanks Matthew! I already followed you! Right when I noticed food, fitness, and self improvement content on your feed :D
All my favorite subjects. Great minds think a like! :):)
Awww it was so fun to meet you guys too!! ❤️❤️ Yeah definitely agree there’s pros and cons to putting your life on social media! But the steemit environment seems to be be uplifting, inviting, and encouraging for the most part. Pushes you beyond your usual comfort zone of life before steemit :P
Couldn't agree more on this :)
Communication is good, meet new people is also good. As humans we need social life, it's like a basic necessity. It's the 3rd degree in maslow pyramid!
Although that doesn't mean we have to share all of our life in a social plataform. In instagram for instance i like to share more personal content, and in linkedin it's much more professional. But one thing is certain we only post want we want to be seen !
Internet should exist to make peoples lifes easier.
I enjoyed reading your post! Thanks @cabernet
Thank you @ricardocardoso! The social aspect along with the opportunity for personal development through writing is what makes Steemit so unique.
Glad you enjoyed the post.
I almost agree with you, It has surely positive impact, on the aspect of being creative and being innovative in steemit meanwhile being as virtual society (social network) it should also help solve the personal, shy, diffident, content of user that they cannot share with real life person.
Wait, you believe not being anonymous on Steemit helps people share info about them that they wouldn't in real life? What kind of info are we talking about? Ideas and thoughts or advice of various aspects of life, like I mention above?
probably thoughts and advice that some times need to be given in anonymous way. But after all this is professional social media which has more roaring future
thanks for sharing
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