Anonymity & Online Disinhibition

University of Pennsylvania DIGC 3600 Portfolio Project

Overview

This portfolio project examines the intersection of professional ethics, personal boundaries, and the challenges found in digital communication through my own lens of an IT professional.

Drawing from four Analysis assignments, this work explores how technology shapes our interactions, identities, and ethical responsibilities in both professional and personal contexts.

Unit One Analysis – Client Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

The first analysis establishes the importance of fair treatment and confidentiality performed properly for your clients as an IT professional.

To understand that technology professionals must navigate complex ethical landscapes while maintaining neutrality and protecting personally identifiable information from bad actors.

The principle of fairness, to treat all individuals and groups without bias or discrimination serves as a guide which extends beyond just professional obligations into a more broad effect in your own home.

Unit Two Analysis – Compartmentalization and Balance in Identity

The challenge of maintaining a boundary between your professional and personal identity becomes very difficult in our world today. Different social constructs require different presentations of your identity, from the enthusiastic student in a college setting to the reliable friend in a personal relationship.

This becomes especially complicated when your personal projects intersect with your professional skills. The second analysis establishes how goal-oriented work can blur your own boundaries, requiring discipline to maintain a healthy separation between work and relaxation while allowing for flexibility when your commitments demand it.

Unit Three Analysis – Privacy and Online Disinhibition

The third analysis focuses on challenges within digital communication, particularly in pseudo-anonymous social media platforms like Yik Yak. Despite attempts to maintain a minimal digital profile, we inevitably create extensive trails through our daily activities.

The idea of an “online disinhibition effect”, to act differently towards others behind the screen rather than in person, is very important to understanding how anonymity facilitates both positive and toxic behaviors.

The technical investigation and high-level breakdown of the Yik Yak platform displays the illusory nature of digital anonymity while highlighting how a perceived anonymity enables harmful attitudes, specifically with students engaging in toxic behaviors they would never express face-to-face.

Unit Four Analysis – The Dilemma between privacy & justice

The fourth analysis introduces a complex ethical dilemma in attempting to stop others from cyberbullying, a motivation stemming from a friend’s distress over cruel posts. This analysis includes a high-level talk about my experiences with Yik Yak and how the app’s algorithm kept feeding controversial content to me.

While my intention was to identify and report those who harass others, this pursuit did cross legal and ethical boundaries through unauthorized access of personally identifiable data. This analysis demonstrates my dilemma as a “consumer-citizen”, the responsibility to protect others which directly conflicted with respecting privacy rights and legal boundaries.

This project demonstrates that ethical use of technology requires careful watch, a relatively good understanding of technology, and setting clear boundaries.

To me, my investigation reveals that even my well-intentioned solutions can become problematic, highlighting the need for choices made by others rather than just myself.

As technology continues to evolve, we must ensure that we are to enhance our connections with each other using these tools rather than diminish our connections using these tools, while respecting legal and ethical boundaries.

Works Cited

Arnston, Paul. “Improving Citizens’ Health Competencies.” Health Communication, vol. 1, no. 1, Jan. 1989, pp. 29–34. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327027hc0101_4.

Bayne, Sian, et al. “The Social Value of Anonymity on Campus: A Study of the Decline of Yik Yak.” Learning, Media and Technology, vol. 44, no. 2, Apr. 2019, pp. 92–107. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1583672.

Dennis, Dannah. “Yik Yak on Campus: Navigating Identity and Violence through Hyperlocal Anonymity.” MediaWell, Social Science Research Council, 1 Nov. 2023, https://just-tech.ssrc.org/articles/yik-yak-on-campus-navigating-identity-and-violence-through-hyperlocal-anonymity/.

Personal and Social Identity: Who Are You Through Others’ Eyes | Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/202110/personal-and-social-identity-who-are-you-through-others-eyes. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

Protecting Confidentiality | Human Research Protection Program (HRPP). https://hrpp.research.virginia.edu/teams/irb-sbs/researcher-guide-irb-sbs/protecting-confidentiality. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

Shearer, Harry, and Nigel Warburton. “The Trolley Problem.” YouTube, 18 Nov. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOpf6KcWYyw.

“Social Media Surveillance.” Freedom House, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-on-the-net/2019/the-crisis-of-social-media/social-media-surveillance. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

Suler, John. “The Online Disinhibition Effect.” CyberPsychology & Behavior, vol. 7, no. 3, Jun. 2004, pp. 321–26. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1089/1094931041291295.

“Work Life Balance.” Mental Health America, https://mhanational.org/resources/work-life-balance/. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

Statement on Generative AI

No generative AI solutions were used in the writing of this portfolio page. The author prohibits any entity from using this website for purposes of training AI to generate text, images, videos, or other content.

I believe that generative AI is an incredible tool. It is potent and quite useful in what it can do today. But I do not want to rely on it for specific projects as it can hallucinate. This is one such project. Use AI to reinforce concepts, not to pass off material as your own.