Diversity in Multimodal Composition

I found this weeks readings on minorities in cyberspace very interesting. I think it is important, when teaching computer-mediated composition, to recognize students will undoubtedly have different experiences with computers. It is not enough to simply recognize that some people will have used computers frequently while others will have not, but we also need to consider the reasons for this discrepancy. I thought all the articles for this week addressed important issues in the cyber-community especially concerning discrimination and bigotry. The article I found most interesting, probably because of my own relation to it, was "IM Me" by Shayla Marie Thiel.
In my highschool years, IM became the most popular form of communication, especially because cell phones were not yet a common thing for teenage girls to have. I can relate to many of the IM conversations or situations in Thiel's article as they are similar to ones from my own life. She frequently talks about how girls use IM to investigate their identities; but, I want to take this a step further. Is IM actually forming identies (both on and off the internet) for these girls, that would never have been formed otherwise? Does the freedom from parents, teachers, and control give these girls a way to not only explore who they are but actually discover it. Despite the many strides in feminism, girls are still expected to talk, act, and look a certain way. If these normalities are no longer required online, are young females discovering unique identities sooner? Or is IM just another way for girls to continue the catty social exercises that go on at school from the safety of their own home?
The other article that I found most interesting was "But I'm Just White" by Samantha Blackmon. It was very interested to see how self-exploration could be transferred into multimodal composition. I am not sure if she actually does this, but I think the most beneficial part of this class would be other students getting to view their peer's projects. If the class is as comfortable as she claims, then it seems students would be willing to share their projects. And I think for many young students it would be very beneficial to view the perspectives and projects of their diverse classmates. This is a great opportunity for growth in the academic, personal, and social sense.