{"id":5710,"date":"2026-09-04T06:46:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/?p=5710"},"modified":"2026-09-04T06:46:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:46:25","slug":"why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Online Identities Are Becoming More Personal AgainWhy Online Identities Are Becoming More Personal Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internet spent years cleaning itself up. Now the weird usernames, tiny inside jokes and expressive profiles are creeping back in, and that might be exactly what online spaces needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open a few social profiles from people you actually remember. Chances are, something small sticks with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe it is a username you could never have invented yourself. Maybe the bio makes you laugh. Maybe the profile picture looks nothing like the polished headshots filling the rest of your feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is the interesting part. After years of profiles becoming cleaner, safer and increasingly similar, personality is finding its way back in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in a feed where almost everything is competing for attention, being a little more recognizable can matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#We_got_very_good_at_looking_the_same\" >We got very good at looking the same<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#Niche_communities_have_always_understood_this\" >Niche communities have always understood this<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#The_username_matters_more_than_we_admit\" >The username matters more than we admit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#Bios_are_becoming_introductions_again\" >Bios are becoming introductions again<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#You_do_not_need_a_personal_brand\" >You do not need a personal brand<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#AI_makes_the_human_details_more_interesting\" >AI makes the human details more interesting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/why-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-againwhy-online-identities-are-becoming-more-personal-again\/#Maybe_the_internet_needs_a_little_weirdness\" >Maybe the internet needs a little weirdness<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"We_got_very_good_at_looking_the_same\"><\/span><strong>We got very good at looking the same<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minimal profiles became popular for good reasons. They are clean. They are easy to understand. They rarely offend anyone&#8217;s eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when everyone follows the same formula, polished can start to feel anonymous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about the accounts you recognize instantly. It is often not because their profile is technically perfect. There is usually a detail attached to it: a recurring joke, a memorable name, an unusual avatar or simply a voice that sounds like a real person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personality does not require clutter. Sometimes one unexpected detail is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Niche_communities_have_always_understood_this\"><\/span><strong>Niche communities have always understood this<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaming groups, fandoms, book communities, music scenes and old-school forums never completely abandoned the strange side of internet identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They develop their own phrases, symbols, references and naming styles. Something that looks meaningless to an outsider can immediately tell another fan, \u201cyou are one of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is why a gaming name can feel more personal than a formal social handle, or why a tiny reference in a bio can start a conversation with someone you have never met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meaning comes from the people using it, not from a branding rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_username_matters_more_than_we_admit\"><\/span><strong>The username matters more than we admit<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A username may be only a few characters on a screen, but people can carry the same one through games, streaming platforms and communities for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For creators, it can eventually become the name an audience knows better than their real one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That makes experimenting with the look of a name surprisingly fun. Some people keep it plain. Others play with capitalization, symbols or <a href=\"https:\/\/fontalic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">copy and paste fonts<\/a> to see how the same words feel in a different style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The useful part is the experimenting. You might try ten versions and end up choosing the simplest one because it feels right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is still a practical limit. If your username becomes impossible to read, remember or search, the style is working against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bios_are_becoming_introductions_again\"><\/span><strong>Bios are becoming introductions again<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good bio does not need to sound like a r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, one specific detail often tells us more than a paragraph of polished adjectives. \u201cMakes videos about old horror movies\u201d is more memorable than \u201ccreative storyteller and content enthusiast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For creators, this matters because people often discover the content first and meet the profile second. If the bio feels like the same person they just watched, following becomes a more natural next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal is not to optimize every character. It is to give people a quick reason to understand, remember or connect with you.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"491\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5711\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.2222222222222223;width:779px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6.jpeg 491w, https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-300x245.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 491px) 100vw, 491px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_do_not_need_a_personal_brand\"><\/span><strong>You do not need a personal brand<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The phrase \u201cpersonal brand\u201d can make changing a profile picture sound like a corporate strategy meeting. Most people do not need that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What helps is a little consistency. If your avatar, bio and the things you post all feel like they belong to the same person, the profile starts becoming recognizable on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A business account may need a cleaner approach. A gaming profile can be playful. An artist might want the visuals to do most of the talking. A fan account can lean into references only its community understands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no single correct version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AI_makes_the_human_details_more_interesting\"><\/span><strong>AI makes the human details more interesting<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is now incredibly easy to generate a polished bio, profile image, caption or list of username ideas. That is useful, but it also makes polished output less unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The things that are difficult to automate are often the things people remember: the oddly specific joke, the nickname with a story behind it, the imperfect photo you actually like, or the sentence nobody else would think to put in a bio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI can help with options. It cannot decide which option genuinely feels like you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Maybe_the_internet_needs_a_little_weirdness\"><\/span><strong>Maybe the internet needs a little weirdness<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of this means we need to return to unreadable profiles packed with flashing text, twenty emojis and usernames that require a decoder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The better shift is much smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People are letting their profiles have edges again. A little humor. A little taste. A reference to the community they love. A name that does not look like it came from a template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The internet is already full of perfectly polished things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The profiles worth remembering may be the ones that leave a little room for the person behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The internet spent years cleaning itself up. Now the weird usernames, tiny inside jokes and expressive profiles are creeping back&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5710"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5712,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5710\/revisions\/5712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/derekdemars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}