Online Anonymity Makes People Become More Extroverted - Essay Example

Online anonymity has made it possible for individuals to create lives for themselves online which are not based on reality and there are individuals who tend to have numerous profiles that they use to attract a large number of friends, especially on social networks (Ashton, Lee, and Paunonen 246). Such situations often lead to these persons coming to lose a grip on reality and during the most crucial of circumstances; they end up suffering from social dysfunction. Schizophrenia is a condition whose prevalence has arisen as a result of an increase in social networking and this situation has led to more people living lives that are not real; denying their true selves in favor of personalities that they consider to be the ideal. The result of these circumstances has been that in addition to schizophrenia, it has also become common for individuals to concentrate all of their efforts online at the expense of developing social skills in their real lives.

Sleep disorders have seen a rise since the beginning of social networking and this is especially because most users tend not to get much sleep as a result of staying online till late hours sharing information with their online friends. With new mobile technology being developed almost on a daily basis, it has become possible for individuals to spend most of their time online and this does not often end when they get to their own homes (Fulmer, Gelfand, et al. 1566). It has become a norm for individuals to continue participating in such networks as Twitter late into the night and many have reported that they tend to experience trouble sleeping. Lack of sleep coupled with continuing activity online has created a situation where there are increasing cases of insomnia among frequent internet users. The urge to continue using social networks for long hours has eaten into a sleeping time of most individuals and as a result, it has become difficult for most to function effectively in their daily lives because of lack of sleep. Spending a lot of time on social networks has made possible the development of sleep disorders as well as a serious reduction in work output and this trend has to be discouraged among internet users before it gets worse.

Addiction is a consequence of online anonymity because it has led to a circumstance where some individuals cannot live without it. As a result of living a life online which they consider to be ideal, many individuals have become more attached to this technology and it has become difficult for them to live a healthy life (Caplan and High 265). This is especially true of those individuals who spend most of their time online at the expense of other activities in their lives. Such circumstances have led to many becoming addicted to social networks at almost the same level as they would be if they were drug addicts. People with weak personalities, through online anonymity, have been provided with an opportunity to make for themselves strong personalities by posting false profiles online. A rise in social networking addiction over the past decade has led to an increase in personality disorders that were not prevalent in previous years. The circumstances under which many individuals live through interactions online have led to concerns over whether internet use or social networks, in particular, are actually safe for the health of their users.

In conclusion, there has been a sharp rise in instances of mental disorders over the past few years as a result of online anonymity which has also increased internet use. Because of these circumstances, it has become essential for the causes of these disorders online to be addressed since they are a matter of public concern. More interventions have to be made to wean as many individuals as possible from extroversion caused by online anonymity.