Behind the screen lies a secret world, where almost one in two young people lives a parallel life, far from the real one. This is what emerges from a worrying survey that sheds new light on the increasingly conflictual relationship between the new generations and the web. A relationship made of hidden identities, altered personalities and a growing disconnection that risks fueling the psychological distress of an entire generation.
A generation divided between real and virtual
The survey, conducted by OnePoll on a sample of 2.000 Americans evenly divided by generation, reveals a disturbing scenario. As many as 46% of the participants belonging to Generation Z, i.e. those born between the end of the 90s and the beginning of the XNUMXs, claims to have an online personality that differs "enormously" (cit.) from that shown in the real world. A fact that makes you think, and which is also reflected in other age groups, albeit to a lesser extent: the 38% of Millennials, the 18% of Generazione x (mine is the 8% of Baby Boomers admits to leading a real "double life" on the web.
But there is more. 31% of Gen Z and 27% of Millennials keep this digital identity hidden from their families, almost as if it were an unspeakable secret. An attitude which on the one hand can be read as an expression of young people's natural need for privacy and autonomy, but raises questions about the profound reasons for this "split" between the real self and the virtual self.
Expressing yourself online is easier, but at what cost?
A possible explanation emerges from another survey data: for 53% of Gen Z and 49% of Millennials It's easier to express yourself online than offline. The web seems to offer a protected space where you can be what you want, far from the conditioning and expectations of the real world. Online you can express clearer and sometimes controversial opinions, you can explore interests and passions that perhaps have no place in everyday life.
But this freedom comes at a price. Half of survey participants admit to feeling a disconnect between their online and offline selves. And for many, this discrepancy translates into feelings of anxiety (18%), loneliness (17%) e depression (15%). A sign that the digital "double life", however tempting, can have serious repercussions on mental health and on the overall well-being of young people.
About one in five young people in the world suffers from some mental disorder: a global crisis. And the online "double life", with its enticements and pitfalls, risks being both a mirror and a fueler of this discomfort.
Half generation, towards a new digital awareness
Faced with this challenge, hasty judgments or simplistic solutions are of no use. We need a collective effort of understanding and education. We need families, schools, institutions and (forgive me, above all) technology companies to really listen. We must help young people to develop a greater awareness of their relationship with digital, to manage their online presence in a balanced way, to recognize and deal with any emotional and relational repercussions of their choices.
Only in this way can we hope to heal the fracture between real and virtual, between offline and online, which seems to so profoundly mark the experience of each new generation. And build a future in which digital identity is not a mask to wear to escape from oneself, but a tool to best express who one is, in harmony between the physical and virtual dimensions.
Let's shed light on this phenomenon, because only what is known can be addressed. And the stakes (the well-being and balance of an entire generation) are too high to look elsewhere.
