Cyberspace as a Get Away

We all know those individuals who seem to vanish behind closed doors and escape reality into the world of cyberspace. Whether it be a friend, relative a significant other or yourself, everyone knows someone who attracts to the anonymity of a new identity where communication exists with the click of a mouse and the creation of a character.

Therapy sessions used to be between an individual needing advice and a professional looking to give it, however, nowadays, therapy sessions involve expressing oneself by becoming something else and acting through it online. Barker states, "It is argued that by enabling players to mask their worldly identites, virtual space allows a range of identity performances that are not tied to material bodies" (360). Do we now have different personalities? Does everyone who becomes addicted to cyberspace have Multiple Personality Disorder and their personalities are released via video games, chat rooms, blogs even.

Barker continues to state, "The problem, of course, is that actors in cyberspace remain tied to the everyday material world whose impact on the virtual universe persists" (360). Are there certain traits in an individual who fall into the supremacy of loss of identity. Does social class lead to the need to express oneself via a character? If someone is in a low-paying dead-end job and wants to pretend they have a million dollars, why not behave like the person you want to be where no one knows the real you. It's reality versus fantasy; one can pretend to be anything or anyone they want with no consequences.
A world of make believe can be all someone wants to believe in. They can forget about the reality of things, and lock themselves in cyberspace to become what they really want to be.