To be Anonymous or Nah

              So I’ve been trying to figure out my stance on this whole anonymity-trolling issue like all day, and so far, I’m still on square one. I was staring at a blank word document for a good while and before I realized that blogging might help me if I treat it like a freewrite of some sort and so here I am. I guess I’m having such a hard time choosing sides because there are so many different factors that have to be considered. On one hand, anonymity causes a lot of harassment online and that’s no bueno, but then on the other hand, it has some benefits as well – like those that Gabriella Coleman brought up in her article, “Anonymity Online Serves Us All.” She mentions that it anonymity online is being used by parents and patients alike who are discussing medicine-related or parenting issues that aren’t exactly socially accepted. She also mentions how anonymous activists also use it “for whistle-blowing or to speak truth to power without fear of retribution.”(4) While those benefits do exist, we also have to consider the ugly side of it: harassment. I feel like there should be a way to fix that issue and that someone will eventually have the answer, but then it would probably infringe on the first amendment and we all know how much Americans like their rights. However, I do believe that trolling is a direct effect of societal problems such as sexism and racism. I mean, if we all really view each other as equals then we wouldn’t be having this problem. If people weren’t so judgey and annoyingly up on other people’s business then we wouldn’t be having such ridiculous problems. Now that I’m really thinking about it though, even if you take away anonymity, it’s not going to stop people from trolling. I see people post mean things on Facebook all the time and that has their name and everything out there soooo I guess there really isn’t much we can do about it. Okay, I think I’m done now.