Two A.M. Thoughts is, and will always be, a work in progress. Last week, I complained about how complicated it was to get my site started on WordPress, and that was an ordeal and a half.
This week, I digress. Instead, let me paint you a picture of what Two A.M. Thoughts could be.
Imagining my website
At the moment, there really is no rhyme or reason for the placement of anything on my website. Did you know? I’m still working with the default website theme and template provided by WordPress when you start up your website.
In all honesty, it isn’t an ugly or bad template by any means. It is simple, minimalistic, and clean—but we can do so much more than that!
As far as I have seen, WordPress has a wide variety of templates and themes to pick from. Though for now, let’s just imagine… map it out.
When I land on twoamthoughts.com, I want to have a navigation bar that is organized and categorized. All I need is a link to my Home page, About page, and My 2 A.M.s content posts page, and then a dropdown menu for my PUB 101 assignments (Process Posts, Mini Assignments, and Peer Reviews).
I like the simplicity of having a text-only home page, but the overall look can use some work. Not sure what yet, but we’ll see. I could add some images and columns for my content, and I definitely need to update that ‘Get In Touch’ button at the bottom of my Home Page because it actually doesn’t take you anywhere.
On that note, contact information and social media integration might be something worth adding to or above the navigation bar… but do I want to so much of my personal information out here?
This is something I think about whenever I get around to working on this website. Am I sharing too much information? Should I share that much with everyone else who’ll be reading this? Do I want to let strangers into this side of my life?
And it’s something that makes me reconsider the concept of the ‘disinhibition effect.’
The ‘online disinhibition’ effect
The ‘disinhibition effect,’ according to Suler, is seen in the cyberspace world. He explains that us humans are intrinsically more comfortable doing and saying things in the online world that we wouldn’t usually do or say face-to-face or in-person.
I will say that of the six types of behaviours that he describes, I find myself in the ‘You Can’t See Me,’ or ‘Invisibility,’ category. The idea of sharing my personal and private thoughts on an online space is a bit concerning because anyone in the world who finds this page will see what I write. Though, in the moments that I’m writing these posts, I feel like nobody’s watching and I’m just talking to myself in the comforts and privacy of wherever I am in that moment. It’s just me, my laptop, and nobody else.
While this is a great feeling to have in the moment, it is a feeling that I need to think again about before I continue typing.
Is this my ‘true self’?
Now, does this mean that everything that I’ve shared up till now is my ‘true self’? Not quite. There is so much more to one’s true self than the thoughts they share online. Suler notes that we all have our own personal and cultural values which help us determine the authentic and not so authentic aspects of ourselves. This is always something I should also keep in mind the next time I read another individual’s blog posts and personal thoughts.
In the end, being aware of the realities of online space is crucial to be able to consume and share content safely.
References
Suler, J. (2004). The online disinhibition effect. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7(3), 321-326. https://doi.org/10.1089/1094931041291295
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