Real vs Virtual Identity: A Contemporary Analysis of Social Displacement Accelerating Anti-social Behavior Among Youth

Abstract

This study investigated the role of social media in creating anti-social behavior among active social media users. The researchers conducted survey to understand the difference between the real and virtual personalities of social media users. 256 students — aged 17 to 25 years — enrolled in different universities of Lahore were reached out conveniently to get their responses on 22 closed ended questions of questionnaire. The Social Displacement Theory guided the researchers to analyze the obtained data on SPSS to interpret their communication preferences in virtual and real life. The chi-square test approved the hypothesis as it showed a significant association between social media usage and anti-social behavior among users. This study concluded that higher social media usage paved the way for users to get isolated from the real world — pointing towards estrangement from social gathering. Hence, an individual must maintain a balance between real and virtual identities.