2. Anonymous Behavior The anonymity of the online world enables consumers to behave differently than they do in the physical world People act angry and threatening, such as cyberbullying1 People make overly personal revelations about themselves1 Psychological Reports researchers found that out of four groups of participants, only those in the anonymous group took part in antisocial behavior1
3. Personas Some users use the anonymity to take on various personas: Actual self Ideal self Experimental self – try something they are curious about, i.e. the opposite gender Fantasy self – something not possible in the physical world, i.e. wings and flying Projected – be and maintain the identity of someone you idealize, i.e. perfect mother
4. Multiple Personas According to Gartner, users often create multiple, often anonymous, personas in order to control their environments and manage the flow of information2 Different personas allow the user to get past the stereotypes and expectations of the physical world and be different people in different online communities
5. Why Anonymity helps avoid prejudice due to age, race, gender or culture3 The user feels no social pressure or fear or judgment online Anonymity allows users to express things they wouldn’t, or can’t, try in the physical world
6. 6 Factors of Online Disinhibition4 According to John Suler, there are 6 factors that impact users’ online behavior: Dissociative anonymity – users can conceal their identity and separate their online actions from those of the physical world Invisibility – users cannot be seen or heard and therefore cannot give or receive non-verbal cues Asynchronicity – users don’t have to process immediate feedback
7. 6 Factors, cont. Solipsistic introjection – users turn other online subjects into real characters within their mind Dissociative imagination – see the online world as a type of game with different rules and expectations Minimization of authority – everyone online has an equal chance to express themselves
8. Lack of Anonymity5 While users are likely to find a site where they can be anonymous, this is becoming harder to do Sites like Facebook require users to use their real names and encourage users to publicly express themselves across the web, inside and outside of their site Users are being tracked by cookies, which may be able to be connected to their name
9. Conclusion Marketers need to adjust their marketing to sell to the various personas Companies need to enable users to express themselves and allow the company to be part of the conversation
10. References 1Mapes, Diane. “Anonymity Opens Up Split Personality Zone.” (2008) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26837911/ns/health-behavior/t/anonymity-opens-split-personality-zone/ 2Gonzalves, Chris. "MULTIPLE ONLINE PERSONAS: THE CHOICE OF A NEW GENERATION." Baseline 83 (2008): 18-19. Business Source Premier. 3 Seltzer, Richard. “Web Business Bootcamp.” http://www.samizdat.com/bootcamp.html (2002) 4Suler, John. "The Online Disinhibition Effect." CyberPsychology & Behavior, 7.3 (2004) 5 Anonymous no more. (2011). Economist, 398(8724), 8.
