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As part of its “Work for Humankind” project, Lenovo asked 2-thousand American adults about their online and offline personalities. Respondents were split evenly by generations and across the board, 27% feel like they’re living a “double life,” where their online personality vastly differs from the way they are in real life.
Nearly half (46%) of Gen Z feels this duality, the highest amount for any generation, while 38% of millennials feel like this, as do 18% of Gen Xers and 8% of baby boomers.
- About 20% of all respondents admit they’re keeping their online persona a secret from family members, but it’s even higher for younger generations, as 31% of Gen Z and 27% of millennials say their online world is a secret from their family.
- More than half (53%) of Gen Z says it’s easier to express themselves online than offline, compared to 40% of all respondents, including 49% of millennials, 35% of Gen X and 23% of baby boomers.
- Half (49%) of those polled admit they sometimes feel a disconnect between who they are online and offline, but that number goes up to 68% for Gen Z.
- No matter how old they are when they experience it, that disconnect has led to feelings of anxiety (18%), loneliness (17%) and depression (15%).
- Things people would feel more comfortable sharing online than offline include their ambitions (21%), fears or insecurities (17%) and their beliefs, political or otherwise (19%).
- Respondents say their online persona has clearer likes/dislikes (22%), different likes/dislikes (17%) and more controversial opinions and values (15% each) than their offline self.
Read the article at SWNS Digital