Anonymity on the Internet is becoming a growing issue. There are many social media sites, such as Reddit, 4chan, and Yik Yak, that revolve around the idea of anonymity. While anonymity is a great way for some people to communicate with others without the fear of being tracked down or having their “footprint” on the web, it does create problems. One major issue that comes along with anonymity is cyberbullying. Sites like 4chan and Yik Yak allow users to easily harass, bully, or “troll” other users since there is essentially no way to track down the cyberbully. Because of this issue, I am launching a campaign called “Anti-Anonymity.”

Anti-Anonymity is a project that is set to promote the use of social media sites that use and require true identity, such as Facebook. With this project, I intend to target those who use social media, which inevitably targets a wide range of age groups. I find that it is in the hands of social media users to be the ones who make the change, for the web is theirs to mold. However, I am planning on targeting certain age groups through the certain social media sites I utilize in my campaign. I have already created a Twitter, Facebook, and website to promote my project. With Twitter being most popular among teenagers and young adults, I hope that Anti-Anonymity’s twitter will be exposed to them. Facebook is still used by teens and young adults, but is also popular with older adults. Therefore, I hope to reach parents through Facebook so they can become aware of my movement and encourage their children to use social media sites that require real identity. As for the Anti-Anonymity website, I created that so that it could be the central part of the campaign. I have posted the link to the website on the Twitter and Facebook accounts so that anyone who hears about the campaign through those platforms can get more information via the website. On each platform, there will be various posts including text, photos, and links to other sites that also encourage true identity. These social media sites offer incredible features (i.e., trends on Twitter and Facebook) that will assist me in promoting my campaign.

Many web users enjoy and cherish the ability to be anonymous on the Internet, so my project will not be a walk in the park. I am planning to explain the consequences of anonymity online and how the web could be a friendlier environment if users were willing to give up their anonymity. It is my hope that with the information and evidence I gather, people will listen to my campaign and support its cause.