Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Old media and new media blur just a little more

In what could be considered a further blurring of traditional media and new forms of digital media, this weekend’s cover story in the New York Times Magazine features the intimate autobiographical account of Emily Gould, blogger and former Gawker editor.

Emily’s story, which at times reads like an uber-blog post about the challenges of managing identity and self-expression in the digital age, highlights some of the same issues and questions we have explored here at the Pew Internet Project:

What compels bloggers to write about the personal details of their lives online? Who do they write for?

See our “Bloggers” report here.

Are younger generations, weaned on social networking sites, approaching the internet with different attitudes than their parents? What kinds of information are they sharing, and what are they restricting access to?

See our “Teens, Privacy and Online Social Networks” report here.

How do internet users manage their identities online? How many people are required to promote themselves online as part of their job?

See our “Digital Footprints” report here.

Those who read the print version of the article might also be interested to see the other half of the interactive story, which unfolds in the comments section. The comments range from harshly critical to supportive and encouraging. With 859 comments posted before the article has even appeared in print, the conversation is sure to continue online…

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