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AnonTechie [soylentnews.org] writes:

University of Queensland [uq.edu.au] researchers have found there are two key reasons people choose to be anonymous online – self-expression or toxic behaviour.

A team led by PhD candidate Lewis Nitschinsk from UQ’s School of Psychology collected data from more than 1,300 participants across the globe via an online survey and daily diary, where they tracked their online behaviour over a week. “Our study specifically looked at what people do online when they’re anonymous, as opposed to when they make themselves identifiable,” Mr Nitschinsk said.

[...] Mr Nitschinsk said the results help understand the complexities of how people interact online.

“Learning about different motivations means we can be better informed about potential benefits and risks of being anonymous online, and interacting with other anonymous people in online communities,” he said.

“The next stage of our research is to understand how seeking anonymity is associated with one’s wellbeing and how anonymous online behaviour differs across cultures.”

[Also Covered By]: Phys.Org [phys.org]

[Journal Reference]: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01461672231210465 [sagepub.com]

What motivates you to be anonymous online ?

Original Submission