User:Rosiesievers20/sandbox

This is the first time I used Wikipedia.

Culture of Second Life

External Influences
Identities in Second Life can relate to the users' personality or creating their own character. It is based on their decisions on how to express themselves. Most avatars are human, but they can choose to be vampires or animals. Sometimes, whatever they choose don't relate to their offline selves. As a result they have the freedom to choose wether to use their real-life personality or to remain anonymous. Through recent years using their real life identity or creating a fictional alias is still debatable. Many users get confused with the difference between SL and RL, and many users want to remain anonymous as they get worried about revealing information about themselves to complete strangers in Second Life including family life or any personal contact details.

Breadth
The breadth of penetration is the range of areas in an individual's life, which takes place by disclosure.

Depth
The depth of penetration is a degree of intimacy. The analogy is applied when equal intimacy is involved in friendship and romance.

These come in four stages outlined by Altman and Taylor in their framework of social penetration:

1. Peripheral items are exchanged more frequently and sooner than private information - When the sharp edge of the wedge has barely reached the intimate area, the thicker part has a cut path through the outer rings. The relationship is still relating at a interpersonal level.

2. Self-disclosure is reciprocal, especially in the early stages of relationship development - The theory predicts new acquaintances, when two people show roughly equal levels of openness, but does not explain why. They might also feel a sense of emotional equity, so a disclosure takes place between them.

3. Penetration is rapid at the start but slows down quickly as the tightly wrapped inner layers are reached- Instant intimacy is a myth. There are societal norms against telling too much too fast. For this, relationships fade or die easily after a separation or strain. A comfortable share of positive and negative reactions is rare. When achieved, relationships become more important to both parties, more meaningful and more enduring.

4. Depenetration is a gradual process of layer-by-layer withdrawal - A warm friendship between two people will deteriorate if they begin to close off areas of their lives that had earlier been opened. Relational retreat takes back of what has earlier been exchanged in the building of a relationship. Relationships are likely to break down not in a explosive argument but in a gradual cooling off enjoyment and care.

Relationship
It is possible to have depth without breadth and even breadth without depth. For instance, depth without breadth could be where only one area of intimacy is accessed. “A relationship that could be depicted from the onion model would be a summer romance. This would be depth without breadth.” On the other hand, breadth without depth would be simple everyday conversations. An example would be when passing by an acquaintance and saying, “Hi, how are you?” without ever really expecting to stop and listen to what this person has to say is an everyday instance. To get to the level of breadth and depth both parties have to work their way down and work on their social skills and how they present themselves to people. They have to be willing to open up and talk to each other and express themselves. One person could let a little bit of their personal life out and see how the other person responds. If they want to talk about it they will talk about it. If they do not want to open up the first time, the first person has to keep talking to the second person and have many conversations to get to the point where they both feel comfortable enough for them to want to talk to each other about personal things in their lives.