Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

Even J. K. Rowling (of Harry Potter fame) used the pseudonym Robert Galbraith to write her follow-up
novel to the series, The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013). Rowling didn’t want the media hype or inflated reader
expectations while writing her follow-up novel. Unfortunately for Rowling, the secret didn’t stay hidden
very long.
There are many famous people who use pseudonyms in their social media: @TheTweetOfGod
(comedy writer and Daily Show producer, David Javerbaum), @pewdiepie (online personality and
producer Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg), @baddiewinkle (Octogenarian fashionista and online personality
Helen Van Winkle), @doctor.mike (family practitioner and internet celebrity Dr. Mike Varshavski), and
more. Some of these people used parts of their real names, and others used fully pseudonymous names.
All of them have enormous Internet followings and have used their pseudonyms to build profitable
brands. So, why do people use a pseudonym?
The veneer of the Internet allows us to determine how much of an identity we wish to front in online
presentations. These images can range from a vague silhouette to a detailed snapshot. Whatever the
degree of identity presented, however, it appears that control and empowerment are benefits for users of
these communication technologies.” 54
Some people even adopt a pseudonym because their online actions may not be “on-brand” for their
day-job or because they don’t want to be fully exposed online.
Real Life Identity
Lastly, some people have their real-life identities displayed online. You can find JasonSWrench on
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc…. Our coauthor made the decision to have his
social networking site behavior very public from the beginning. Part of the reason was that when he first
joined Facebook in 2007, he was required to use his professional school email address that ended with.
edu. In the early days, only people with.edu email addresses could join Facebook. Jason also realizes
that this behavior is a part of his professional persona, so he doesn’t put anything on one of these sites he
wouldn’t want other professionals (or even you) to see and read. When it comes to people in the public
eye, most of them use some variation of their real names to enhance their brands. That’s not to say that
many of these same people don’t have multiple online accounts, some of which may be completely
anonymous or even pseudonymous.
Key Takeaways
Erikson believed that an individual’s identity is developed through a series of stages
of psychosocial development that occur from infancy to adulthood. At each stage,
we face a different set of crises that pits an individual’s psychological needs versus
the larger societal needs. Part of this development is impacted by the introduction
of new technologies, which can be both good for society and problematic.
Erving Goffman in his book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, uses the term
“front stage” to describe the types of behavior we exhibit when we know others are
watching us (e.g., an interpersonal interaction), and he uses the term “backstage”
to refer to behavior we engage in when we have no audience present, so we are free
from the rules and norms of interaction that govern our day-to-day interactions
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Interpersonal Communication