This research paper presents an attempt to explore the
phenomenon of a consistent disconnection between the online and offline
personality traits of Internet users. The research delves deeper into this
notion, explores the possible drivers and stimulants, and then puts special
emphasis on its implications and repercussions on various business aspects,
such as online advertising and e-marketing techniques.
The research uses a variety of instruments and tools, including structured
observations, face-to-face interviews, online surveys, and mock computer
User Interfaces designed specifically for the purpose of the experiments
conducted as part of the primary data collection for the research. The paper
then proceeds to analyze the primary data and presents an attempt to
understand the phenomenon and its underlying stimulants. Finally, the
paper presents a set of conclusions, again with more focus on marketing
and business-related issues.
The research, through its primary data analysis and rationalization,
concludes that there is strong evidence that most internet users exhibit different facets of behavioral
dissonance between their online and offline traits. The research also concludes that such dissonance may
be induced by the social internet ecosystem and dynamics, rather than intrinsic tendencies in the users’
actual characters. The research also relates these findings with common business practices of successful
online businesses and sheds the light on potential ethical dilemmas pertaining to internet businesses
exploiting these phenomena (albeit sometimes unknowingly) to lure their users into buying products or
to generate more traffic.
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