Having an online identity and interacting with others using that medium may be more dangerous that originally assumed. Some people using online identity as a way to interact with others are able to hide the fact that they may be something that they are not in the real world.
In this particular case, a millionaire from Australia was leading a "second life" outside of his actual life. The millionaire, Rockefeller, was using online dating sights to create a virtual identity. After a business trip, however, Rockefeller went missing. After an investigation, two members of a "swingers network" that Rockefeller was a member of were charged with his murder.
Source: Malaysia Sun
Because having an online identity feels so distant from the real world, many people don't give the dangers of it a second thought -- especially the younger generation. But the truth is it can be a dangerous place. In this particular instance, it lead to Rockefellers death.
Although online dating has become increasingly popular in the past few years, how are you able to trust the information given to you by the second party. If you do not like your reflexive or ascribed identity, virtual identity gives you the illusion of a freedom from your everyday life. This is a scary thought considering how many people are members of dating sites, and using it for its original purpose. How can you be certain that the person you are speaking to is being honest about themseleves, and not giving out a false persona?
And it is not just dating sites, but video games (WoW, Runescape, ect) as well as many popular networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Myspace, ect.) For instance, a professor in South Korea poses as a little girl in his virtual video games, although in real life he is over 50 years old. You simply never know who the person behind the mask is, and that is a scary though, especially to the parents of the younger generation.
Source: CNN
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