You've Got Mail

The movie “You’ve Got Mail” shows how much people who are online can build a different personality of them selves and live a double life from their daily routine on Earth and the alter-ego in cyber space. In the movie both characters dive into alternative worlds in the communications (emails) between each other. Although they agree on a few rules in the emails where they don’t actually say what businesses they are in, they also only use screen names. This adds to the disconnection to their own worlds because they have become vague in translation and descriptions of themselves. This is where liberties are taken and truths are bent or fractured. When NY152 is talking with Shopgirl online about her business and the person she is having difficulty with (Joe Fox), NY152 tries to help her build her self esteem and gives her some business advice and insight. This was before Joe knew that Shopgirl was actually Kathleen Kelly, the shop owner his business was working to put out of business. When NY152 and Shopgirl decide it is time to meet and set up a meeting and Joe finds out that Kathleen is really Shopgirl he becomes intrigued and interested in Kathleen because he knows more about her and her personal feelings. His choice to play with Kathleen/Shopgirl for a while seems cruel and unfair but what I see is he (Joe) made an attempt to get Kathleen to fall for him for who he is, by gaining her personal trust and attention. This failed only because Joe set up another meeting with NY152 had he waited and not set the meeting I think Kathleen would have fallen for him. The feelings that both people shared for each other were built in the non-internet world and for Kathleen it was her dream that in the end Joe was NY152, for Joe he had fallen for her much earlier and both his worlds were the same only he had to make sure to keep both worlds apart (knowledge of what was said online) until he was told of it by Kathleen. This happens in the real world all the time part of that is because when you log into the internet for the first time with an internet service provider you set up a screen name and unless you are one of those who go online years ago and have your own name or close rendition of it you begin your internet life with a pseudo name. This is where it begins you become some one else, you make up a name that fits your feelings and personality for that given moment. Some become childish, others become a different person and act out on feelings or desires that they would not act out on in real life. Because of this new identity people never really know who they are talking to and then when they unexpectedly find out the person they have been chatting with online is their boss, or a coworker they are shocked and embarrassed because the two worlds have collided. I think in the real work this has added to some people developing split personality disorders and actual issues where the two worlds melt together and they almost become two different people and there is no line between worlds just between people (the internet frisky interesting person) and the (church going, child raising, wife, family person). People who when in real life they get around the people from one of the two worlds (life/internet) they become this other person either internet or real world person. I know someone who in the same internet session will send religious sites, and touching heart warming stories, and then links to all of the strippers, and dancers face book or MySpace pages.

Casey