What real name do you use online?

Abstract

One's name represents one's identity, and a situational name used in an appropriate context respects one's privacy in social life. While the Internet may allow freedom to choose any screen name, social media, however, has become anchored in real-life personal relationships. Married couples in Japan have no choice but to choose one surname—mostly the husbands'—after marriage. Thus, some individuals have been struggling to retain their birth or maiden surnames. The purpose of this research was to examine the reality of marital name usage in Japan both offline and online. As results of quantitative research for dual-name users, despite the requirement of displaying both maiden and legal surnames, the majority put only the maiden name on their profile. In addition, the definition of online real name includes maiden name, which applies mostly to legally married women that have changed their name.