Over the past while, the phenomenon of having alt accounts (alternative/secondary accounts) on social media among young people has been making waves. I have personally got over seven alt accounts, so the question is: why? Today, we’re going to investigate the reasons and the social implications.
The Multi-Persona Trend Spread
The most significant reason is the ‘Multi Persona’ trend. This refers to the phenomenon of not being confined to a single identity, but rather expressing various selves (characters) across different accounts, depending on the situation or relationship.
The term ‘Persona’ is derived from the Latin per sonare, i.e., the mask that an individual wears. In psychology, it is referred to as one’s ideal self as revealed to others. That is, although not the real self, it is how others see the individual’s real self.
In social media, it is used to differentiate and show different professions, leisure, and interests on different accounts. It allows an individual to publicly expose various selves with different personas and roles.
Psychological Freedom and Desire for Self-Expression
The psychological autonomy is the second explanation and also the inner yearning to express oneself. With less face-to-face interaction after COVID-19, people have developed an increased need to express themselves more actively on social media. Compared to main accounts that are continually shadowed by the burden of keeping up one’s image due to a network of individuals, alt accounts present a comparatively independent setting.
Kwon Na-yoon, director of the Psychological Research Institute, explains, “Gen MZ’s generating several alt accounts to flaunt various selves is an expression of their eagerness to pursue value in life. The desire to experiment with another ‘me’ without being trapped in a single image leads to the generation of alt accounts.”
On alt accounts, individuals can really represent emotions, hobbies, and interests that they would not have wanted to disclose on their main accounts due to fear of judgment. This can be described as a form of self-acceptance and freedom of expression without societal expectations.
The Social Function of Alt Accounts
Alt accounts are not only ‘hiding’ places; they are storage banks that keep the diverse identities of users. They are a psychological haven, where users are free to express feelings, thoughts, and tendencies openly, which otherwise they would not put on their main accounts.
Also, since their identity is not disclosed, there is less social evaluation burden, and users don’t need to be conscious of others’ gaze. This way, users are capable of presenting a version of themselves that is closer to their ‘true self’ through alt accounts.
A Double-Edged Sword: Negative Impacts
Yet, the utilisation of alt accounts is a double-edged sword. Sometimes anonymity can create problems like a lack of authenticity, reduced level of trust, dissemination of false information, impersonation, and hate speech.
Besides, information overload and identity confusion resulting from the management of multiple accounts simultaneously are pressing concerns. If distinction between online multiple selves and true self grows bigger while perpetually oscillating between varied online selves, it will lead to identity confusion in the perception of self and, at worst, anxiety or self-hatred.
Solutions and Prevention Strategies
In order to minimize these negative impacts, the following prevention strategies need to be enforced:
Describe the purpose behind maintaining alt accounts: Set the intention and role of every account to yourself and clearly set boundaries between accounts to reduce confusion.
Reduce information overload and simplify relationships: It is better to have some genuine relationships than lots of superficial ones.
Don’t be trapped in other people’s perceptions: Be careful not to let your social media usage be excessive packaging on behalf of others’ opinions.
Social media duplicate accounts have also become a major help in today’s society to try out and draw boundaries for ‘me’ in different ways. But one has to be cautious so that their employment does not lead to self-alienation and burnout. They should be an assistant to the ‘real me,’ not an assistant that leads me away from myself.
Source: Sujin Jo, Hyekyung Park. (2022). An Exploratory Study on the Psychological Meaning of Finsta Use: The Role of Online Social Support, Self-Monitoring and Subjective Well-Being. , 28(4), 691-715, https://doi.org/10.20406/kjcs.2022.11.28.4.691
Seong, M. (2021, July 18). Civic News. Trend of Young People Having ‘Sub-Accounts’ on SNS Spreads…Main Account for Sharing Daily Life, Sub-Account for Major or Hobby Sub-Characters. http://www.civicnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=32166
Jingyun Lee, Hyeonseon Park (2018). The Effect of Problematic Use of SNS on Consumer Psychological Well-being: The Moderating Role of Conspicuous Self-Presentation. Korean Journal of Consumer and Advertising Psychology. 2018, Vol. 19, No. 3, 547-575. https://doi.org/10.21074/kjlcap.2018.19.3.547
Reporter Info: Hyejeong Song (Psychology Major, IUEC TIMES Reporter)
