Coming Out in the Age of the Intemet: Identity "Demarginalization" Through Virtual Group Participation
Internet newsgroups allow individuals to interact with others in a relatively anonymous fashion and thereby provide individuals with concealable stigmatized identities a place to belong not otherwise available. Thus, membership in these groups should become an important part of identity. Study 1 fou...
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| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.477.419 http://www.yale.edu/acmelab/articles/mckenna_bargh_1998.pdf |
| Summary: | Internet newsgroups allow individuals to interact with others in a relatively anonymous fashion and thereby provide individuals with concealable stigmatized identities a place to belong not otherwise available. Thus, membership in these groups should become an important part of identity. Study 1 found that members of newsgroups dealing with marginalized-concealable identifies modified their newsgroup behavior on the basis of reactions of other members, unlike members of marginalized-conspicuous ormainstream newsgroups. This increase in identity importance from newsgroup artici-pation was shown in both Study 2 (marginalized sexual identifies) and Study 3 (marginalized ideological identities) to lead to greater self-acceptance, as well as coming out about the secret identity to family and friends. Results supported the view that Internet groups obey general principles of social group functioning and have real-life consequences for the individual. I just thought, "Oh God. What if they pick up that I'm gay? " It was that fear and shame. I watched the whole Gay Pride march in Washington in 1993, and I wept when I saw that, I mean I cried so hard, thinking "I wish I could be there, " because I never felt like I belonged anywhere.--Ellen DeGeneres, Time magazine interview |
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