The Psychology of Internet

The virtual world is quite different than the in-person world. Digitizing people relationship, and groups has stretched the boundaries of how and when humans interact. In different synergistic combinations of these features, thus resulting in a disctinct psychological quality to each environment which determines how people experience themselves and others. We may think of these features as the fundamental elements of a conceptual model for a psychology of internet. How people behave on internet will always be a complex interaction between these features of cyberspace and the characteristics of the person.
Can we see a person on internet - his facial expressions and body language? Can we hear the changes in her voice? Whether an environment on internet involves visual or auditory communication will greatly affect how people behave and the relationships that develop among those people.
The lack of face-to-face cues has curious impact on how people present their identity on internet. Communicating only with typed text, people have the option of being themself, expressing only parts of them identity, or remaining completely anonymous - in some cases, being almost invisible. In many, environments, people can give themself any name they wish. Anonymity has a disinhibiting effect that cuts two ways. Sometimes people use it to act out some unpleasant need or emotion, often by abusing other people. Or it allows them to be honest and open about some personal issues that they could not discuss in a face-to-face encounter.
In most cases, everyone on internet has an equal opputunity to voice him or herself. Everyone - regardless of status, wealth, race, gender - starts off on a level playing field. Communication on the internet determines people persistence, the quality of them ideas and technical know-how.