ETEC565G Module 3 Unit 3 Discussion In his book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell (2005)

writes about our propensity to thin slice (p. 40), to make snap judgments about people. This can be seen as a positive ability when quick decisions, such as life- and-death issues are at stake, however it can also be detrimental as first impressions are very difficult to undo. Gladwell demonstrates his point through the field of music. The demographics of those hired for an orchestra changed when auditions were conducted from behind a screen. Once gender, race, and physical appearance, were taken out of the equation, focus could be placed on the real reason the musicians were auditioning: their music skills. I believe the virtual environment can actually help us put our best foot forward. The very immateriality (MacFadyen, 2006, p. 5) of the virtual space acts as the screen behind which individuals present themselves. In the absence of gender, ethnicity, and physical appearance, a person can perhaps present their real selves, or at least have the freedom to create or experiment with their own identity (Yang, 2012). This could in fact lead to a stronger sense of self as individuals find a voice in the absence of cultural stigmas. The very tool (language), which is master (Nietzsche in MacFadyen, 2006, p. 9) of the world, and which has formerly been used to place a person in a particular category, can now be utilized to throw off that yoke and empower representation of the real self. Of course I acknowledge that not everyone will represent themselves authentically. This is demonstrated through online fraud and You Tube video exposs. However, while it may be easy to masquerade as someone else in the virtual world, it should not be forgotten that people do the same thing in the physical world. The virtual world is just another tool for people to express their humanness in all its forms. Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink: the power of thinking without thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Co. Macfadyen,L.P.(2006).VirtualEthnicity:Thenewdigitizationofplace,body, language, and memory. Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education, 8 (1). http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/2006spring/macfayden.html Yang, P. (2012). Who Am I in Virtual Space? A Dialectical Approach to Students' Online Identity Expression. In New Media and Intercultural Communication. Identity, Community and Politics, Eds., P. H. Cheong, J. N. Martin & L.P. Macfadyen, (pp. 109122). New York: Peter Lang.