My life online is – mostly – as real here as it is anywhere else

The term “in real life” – or IRL – has always bothered me – personally I prefer say I’m either online or offline (where real/reality is seldom a part of either domain…) – but I really cannot fathom how online activity is any less “real” than what we do offline.

If we still refer to the offline world as “real life,” it’s only a sign of deep denial – or unwarranted shame – about what reality looks like in the 21st century. The Internet’s impact on our daily lives, experiences and relationships is real. Our world is deeply affected by networks. From the moment you wake up to news that was gathered online to the minute you fall asleep listening to a podcast, the Internet shapes how you experience the world around you. From the lunch date you make with your BFF (“r u free 4 lunch 2day?”) to the colleagues your company recruited online, the Internet shapes who you interact with. And from the boss who fills you in on a Twitter rumor to the kid who fills you in on her Facebook activities, the Internet shapes how you interact with them.