We now have a generation of kids growing up with the internet. They promise to offer the very things young people seek: opportunities for self-expression and authentic encounters. Anonymous question apps provide this space. And research has shown online anonymity enhances self-disclosure and honesty.įor young people, having online spaces to express themselves away from the adult gaze is important. This means they’re likely to present themselves differently online to their parents than they are to their peers.ĭigital cultures have long used online anonymity to separate real-world identities from online personas, both for privacy and in response to online surveillance.

We also know they manage online disclosures of their identity and personal life through a technique sociologists call “audience segregation”, or “code switching”. These networks connect them with their peers, support their journeys towards forming identity, and provide them space for experimentation, creativity and bonding.

Why are they so popular? We know teens are drawn to social platforms. Here’s my take on why anonymous question apps have once again taken the internet by storm, and what their impact might be. As a sociologist of technology, I’ve studied human-technology encounters in contentious environments. These platforms have a troublesome history. Early examples include ASKfm, launched in 2010, and, launched in 2009 (as “Fromspring”). These apps can be linked to users’ Instagram and Snapchat accounts, allowing them to post questions and receive anonymous answers from followers.Īlthough they’re trending at the moment, it’s not the first time we’ve seen them. The latter has been installed 15 million times globally, according to recent reports.

We’ve recently seen this through the resurgence of anonymous question apps targeting young people, including Sendit and NGL (which stands for “not gonna lie”). Have you ever told a stranger a secret about yourself online? Did you feel a certain kind of freedom doing so, specifically because the context was removed from your everyday life? Personal disclosure and anonymity have long been a potent mix laced through our online interactions.

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