What do paintball wizard, evil kitty, swimmer girl, dolphin and daredevil have in common? They’re all screen names chosen by kids for their e-mail addresses–and each reveals tons of 411 about its user.
Unlike our first names, which our parents pick, we choose our screen names.
“Choosing a name is a very powerful thing. You’re encapsulating how you feel about yourself or how you want others to see you,” says Pepper Schwartz, a professor of sociology at University of Washington in Seattle whose most recent book is “Ten Talks Parents Must Have With Their Children About Sex and Character.”
Screen names can reveal likes, hopes, desires and goals, says Nicholas Graham, an AOL spokesman. “Kids often incorporate the names of their favorite music groups, TV shows, sports teams, books or celebrities into their e-mail addresses. These screen names are fun because they really allow you to express your preferences, individuality and personality and say a lot about who you are.”
For instance, it’s probably safe to assume that anyone who uses Britney or No Doubt is a major fan; the kid who adopts words like kicker or got-hops is trying to tell us something about her soccer or basketball skills; and wizard or muggles indicates a Harry Potter fan.
But our name choices also can send other, less obvious messages about us. “Like it or not, our names send all kinds of signals to the world that we may not even be aware of,” says Albert Mehrabian, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California who has researched the meaning of names and written “The Name Game.” The book rates 1,800 names on the basis of their potential to imply success, morality, health, warmth, cheerfulness and masculinity or femininity.
Names “give us mental pictures and have connotations we have to be aware of that are both subtle and direct,” Schwartz adds. “And others react to them both consciously and subconsciously.”
In his studies, Mehrabian found that names generate impressions about “how ethical and caring you are or aren’t, whether you’re popular and fun or the opposite, if you’re successful or not and if you’re masculine or feminine.”
So what about paintball wizard, evil kitty, swimmer girl, dolphin and daredevil–screen names chosen by some kids we talked to? What do they say to the world?
According to Mehrabian, “dolphin can be masculine or feminine and gives the impression of freedom, lovability and intelligence, so this is a healthy adolescent giving off a very positive image.”
He sees paintball wizard as playful and boyish but a little aggressive; daredevil as bold, masculine but also mischievous; swimmer girl as an athletic and energetic female; and evil kitty as a girl who can hurt people or be negative.
And that’s the problem. The impression a name leaves with others may not always mirror who you are or what you want to convey.
For instance, the screen name “evil kitty” belongs to Cody S., an 11-year-old Chicago girl who has a pet cat with a scratching issue. The screen name was meant to come across as humorous, not aggressive.
Says Cody: “I was just expressing my feelings about my mischievous cat, but I’m going to watch the reactions I get now.”
It’s also possible to outgrow a name. Off screen, Gahan F., 12, owner of the screen name “swimmer girl,” doesn’t even swim anymore. Gahan admits: “It doesn’t really reflect me right now, but I don’t want to change it because I’m known by it.”
If you’re choosing a new screen name, both Schwartz and Mehrabian have similar advice: Take time and really think about your screen name and how you’ll use it.
“Will you be able to use it with just your buds or can you also use it if you have to e-mail a teacher or employer?” Schwartz asks. For instance, the screen name “party dude” may be cool with pals but could make a teacher think you’re not too responsible.
In general, Schwartz has found that girls are more likely to have names that are flirtatious, direct or even a bit risque; boys tend to pick names that get grandiose or a little gross.
“The bottom line is, anything goes,” says Graham, though he adds that it’s not too cool to get totally gross or obscene. The fun is to “stretch your brain and come up with something clever, creative and truly unique.”
However, the best part of picking and choosing e-mail names is “if you don’t like it, it’s easy to make a change,” Graham says.
Name exchange
We asked four kids who have never met–Hannah C., 14, of Oak Park; Scott C., 12, of Deerfield; Ashley K., 14, of Naperville; and Kenji M., 13, of Evanston–to trade screen names and give their quick impressions of what kind of kid is behind each name. Here’s what they told us:
Banana legs
Ashley: “A wacky person with an interesting sense of humor.”
Kenji: “That’s definitely a girl who’s kind of sporty.”
Scott: “I imagine that banana legs would be a girl, somewhat popular, who likes soccer.”
Why Hannah chose the name: Her nicknames are “banana” (rhymes with Hannah) and “legs” (she runs and plays soccer).
Kenji momomo
Ashley: “I’m sensing that this is a guy. As to his personality, I am mystified, but I totally dig the screen name.”
Hannah: “A boy who likes to play video games.”
Scott: “A guy who is very unique and is popular.”
Why Kenji chose it: “Momomo” plays off his last name.
Stunna
Ashley: “I’m guessing it’s a girl trying to come across as a hottie.”
Hannah: “Sounds like a boy, maybe in 8th grade, who likes wrestling.”
Kenji: “Stunna is a boy. I think it relates to wrestling and sounds somewhat violent.”
Why Scott chose it: “It’s part of a song, ‘#1 Stunna.’ When I was trying to come up with a screen name, this song was on and my friend suggested it. “
Zodiac punkie
Hannah: “A girl who doesn’t really play sports and is more into school stuff.”
Kenji: “A girl who burns incense and does that kind of thing.”
Scott: “A girl who obviously likes her zodiac sign.”
Why Ashley chose it: “I’m kind of into astrology.” The punkie part? She thought it had attitude.
