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New Media & Society, Vol. 7, No. 3, 383-402 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1461444805052282

Adolescents’ identity experiments on the internet

Patti M. Valkenburg

Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, p.m.valkenburg{at}uva.nl

Alexander P. Schouten

Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, a.p.schouten{at}uva.nl

Jochen Peter

Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, j.peter{at}uva.nl

The aim of this article is to investigate how often adolescents engage in internet-based identity experiments, with what motives they engage in such experiments and which self-presentational strategies they use while experimenting with their identity. Six hundred nine to 18-year-olds completed a questionnaire in their classroom. Of the adolescents who used the internet for chat or Instant Messaging, 50 percent indicated that they had engaged in internet-based identity experiments. The most important motive for such experiments was self-exploration (to investigate how others react), followed by social compensation (to overcome shyness) and social facilitation (to facilitate relationship formation). Age, gender and introversion were significant predictors of the frequency with which adolescents engaged in internet-based identity experiments, their motives for such experiments, and their self-presentational strategies.

Key Words: chat • extraversion • identity • identity experiments • Instant Messaging • internet • introversion • selfpresentation


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