Projecting, exposing, revealing self in the digital world: Usernames as a social practice in a Moroccan chatroom

Abstract

This article analyzes the characteristics of 141 usernames in a Moroccan chatroom gathered over sixty days (September 4 2011, through November 3 2011). Analysis of the results of this study identifies eleven categories of usernames, including those using a common Moroccan first name, a first name followed by a last name, a name with a number, usernames referring to Anglo-Saxon and French cultures, and those referring to the Muslim religion. This study offers insights into the construction of Moroccan identity in the virtual world that fluctuates between a traditional local Muslim Moroccan identity and a desire to belong to the global community. © American name Society 2012.