My online personality is a little schizophrenic.  The way I use the internet varies with the seasons.  One week I will dive into a web sphere, and the next I will do nothing but escape to simplicity – read and listen to music. Although, this has recently become more digitized through electronic devices (Kindle and Spotify mobile).  When I am in school, I am involved in blogs and projects. Sometimes they inspire me to follow other content more closely and be more involved. At times of lull, I simply move content around on Pinterest and Flickr. Fundamentally, I am motivated by mobility. According to the PEW survey and Horrigan, I am classified as a Digital Collaborator. I didn’t expect this at first. Though I do create and share content, I do not consider myself a highly active leader or tastemaker. After reading the different types, the categorization does fit. As a long term user, I have become more deeply engaged with digital content. I do view creation as a means of expression, and I want to see & share across a wide variety of places.

The second closest user type is the Ambivalent Networker.  I do use the internet for entertainment, tools, and social connections though I don’t care much about social networking. I do text frequently, and I also use my mobile smartphone to enhance productivity and share content regularly. And I do have some skepticism, and agree that tech breaks are sometimes necessary, but only in a balance. Nonetheless, I am absolutely addicted and I love the access to endless information and innovation. I do not even want to imagine a world with limitations on internet access. The most valuable strength of the internet is the ability to connect people around content, to share ideas and motivate change.

Categorization leads to a better understanding of the different types of users.  By segmenting target audiences, each user can be reached more effectively.  If leaders can understand the behavior of various roles and adapt to each audience, it impacts the overall structure and harmony of the internet for everyone.

Sometimes, I am skeptical of the broad & expansive wasteland of the internet. I do occasionally fear some of the negative consequences that the web will do to our minds and society: the effect the constant stimulation has on our minds’ operation, the cultural fragmentation and loss of identity with natural world, forfeit of privacy, etc.  It is harder to disconnect from the addictive expanse of information, the alluring cry to create, and the perception of productivity. The more I get, the more I want and my dependency deepens.