Half of Gen Z have double life on-line with totally different persona than actual life

A survey of 2,000 adults has revealed a generational gap in how people perceive their online and offline personalities. A quarter of millennials feel there’s a significant difference between their online and real-world selves, compared to just 15% of Gen X and a mere 5% of baby boomers.

The study also found that nearly half (48%) of all participants, regardless of age, sometimes experience a disconnect between their online persona and their real-life identity.

This sense of disconnection is particularly pronounced among Gen Z, with a whopping 75% feeling they lead different lives online and offline. This discrepancy is contributing to feelings of loneliness (21%) and anxiety (18%) among younger Brits.

The research was commissioned by Lenovo as part of its ‘Work For Humankind’ project, titled ‘Meet Your Digital Self’. The initiative aims to explore how smarter technology and AI can help address the global youth mental health crisis.

Sarah Kendrick, clinical director at Mental Health Innovations, the charity behind the UK’s Shout 24/7 text support service, commented on the findings: “One in eight people globally grapple with a mental health condition, with Gen Z experiencing the greatest impact, where that figure rises to one in five.”

“This research puts data behind what we’re seeing with young people: the digital native generation is turning to the internet as a place where they can be who they really are, and they’re finding it hard to reconcile their online and offline worlds.”

The study also unveiled that 61% of Gen Z wish they could have challenging conversations offline with family and loved ones, but 40% find it easier to express their feelings through technology. Meanwhile, half of Gen Z feel it’s simpler to express themselves online than offline, a sentiment shared by 45% of millennials.

Among the 23% of younger adults who feel more at ease being themselves online, 27% believe they won’t face judgement on the internet, while 22% are unafraid to be authentic and 23% have formed stronger relationships online. However, 54% of Gen Z stated that speaking to a trained professional would boost their confidence to communicate more openly with their loved ones in the real world.

The research also found that the average adult spends seven hours each day in the ‘digital world’ – and nine and a half hours in the ‘real world’. Despite the significant amount of time spent online, 17% confess to keeping their online world hidden from some of their family members.

Gen Z were the most likely to keep their online world private, with 32% admitting they have family members unaware of their online persona.

When it comes to presenting themselves and their views online, 12% confessed it’s often different from how they present themselves offline. Of these, 31% said their online persona has a bolder personality, while a quarter claimed it had a more expressive attitude.

According to data from OnePoll.com, compared to their offline selves, individuals’ online personas have more defined likes/dislikes (24%) and more controversial opinions (21%).

“Meet Your Digital Self” is a project that brings the online personas of two Gen Z individuals from the UK and Japan to life as AI-powered three-dimensional avatars. These avatars are designed to facilitate meaningful conversations between the participants, their family members and these avatars, which might not otherwise occur in real life. The meeting was documented by Lenovo and turned into a short film.

Emily Ketchen, global vice president and CMO of Intelligent Devices Group and International Markets at Lenovo, stated: “We recognise the importance of achieving a healthy digital balance for our overall mental wellbeing.”

“With huge advancements in AI and smarter technologies, now is the time to explore and pilot creative new ways to use technology like AI thoughtfully and responsibly, for the greater good. The avatar version of our Gen Z participants were created by carefully weaving together data from across their social media, blog and forum handles, to truly capture how they’re presenting themselves online.”

“By asking the AI avatar questions, through real-time conversations, real-life family gained valuable insights into the Gen Z participant’s online world, and was able to better understand and re-connect with them. Ultimately, we hope that through our ‘Meet Your Digital Self’ social experiment, we can spark meaningful conversations that contribute to the mental wellbeing of individuals and communities worldwide.”