This theory is about the fact that when people are online they feel as if they are invisible, like their true identity is a secret. In a way that is very true. You can start a Facebook online and pull the pictures from someone else's profile. It's very simple to do and I know a couple people that have fake ones to spy on people. There is a growing need to be 'invisible' online though, for instance people feel the need to be anonymous when they are giving true feedback to something like a blog, book, or song. There is a website called Second Life where it allows it's users (who remain completely anonymous) to create basically a second life online. They can be from anywhere and have whatever personality they so chose. These people never have to meet face-to-face, they just have to have conversations online. It's easier for people to hide behind a keyboard and pretend to be someone else. People who do things like this generally don't have a huge social life besides work and family. This usually stems from people's social anxiety or dislike of being around new or large groups of people.
When people post things online they have the luxury of reading and not reading whatever they want. Making things out to be exactly what they want, there is almost a complete control over things. For instance, if you post a picture and you get a couple positive comments and a couple negative you can delete all the negative ones and act like they never happened. It's really that easy. For most people this is extremely appealing. Think about it..you'd be able to control everything online. You could make yourself out to be someone you want and delete all the negative feedback so you look like the best person in the world. You could make yourself out to be so popular whereas in real life you aren't that lucky. It's something to think about. Complete control? Remake your life? It's tempting, but for some people this is the way their life really is.
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