Why does Japanese youth use secret accounts?
The influence of anxiety about future, desire to show off, and low self-esteem.
##article.authors##
- Koki Higuchi Yasashii Business Inc.
-
Fumiaki Nakamura
Kindai University Department of Business Administration
https://researchmap.jp/fumiaki.nakamura
-
Koichi Nakagawa
Yasashii Business Inc.
https://researchmap.jp/koichinakagawa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51094/jxiv.776Keywords:
generation Z, social media, secret account, self-esteem, anxiety about futureAbstract
This study examines how and why Japanese youth (Generation-Z) use secret account in the social media such as X (twitter). Use of secret accounts are considered as the typical behavior that the Japanese youth takes when communicating in the social media. It is thought that the primary reason for using secret account is to avoid public scrutiny to reduce the risk of online criticism or harassment. We hypothesized that the specific psychological conditions that the youth generation has may affect such behavior to avoid online criticisms. Based on a survey of 581 undergraduates in the eastern and western regions in Japan (Kanto and Kansai), this study found that the anxiety about future, desire to show off, and low self-esteem have positive relations with the use of secret account. Furthermore, heavy usage of the social media and high internet literacy have also positive influence on it. Those results indicate that young generations’ specific psychological status like expectations and worries about future accelerate the use of secret accounts, suggesting that they experience some level of stress in internet society.
Conflicts of Interest Disclosure
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosedDownloads *Displays the aggregated results up to the previous day.
References
Goldhaber, M. H. (1997). The attention economy and the net, First Monday, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v2i4.519
Hashimoto, Y. (2018). Netto ison no genjo to kadai: SNS ison wo chushin to shite [Internet addiction in Japan: Focusing on SNS addiction]. Sutoresu Kagaku Kenkyu [Stress Science Research], 33,10–14(in Japanese).
Kawai, D., & Amano, M., & Ogasawara, M., & Hashimoto, Y., & Komuro, H., & Ono, S., & Horikawa, Y. (2012). SNS ison to SNS riyojittai to sonoeikyo [Actual use of Social Networking Service and its effects with Social Networking Service addiction]. Nihon Shakai Joho Gakkai Zenkoku Taikai Kenkyu Happyo Rombunshu [Proceedings of Annual Conference of Japan Association for Social Informatics], 26,265–270(in Japanese).
Kotera, A. (2014). Nihon ni okeru internet izon chousa no metabunseki [A meta-analysis of empirical research on internet addiction in Japan]. Joho Tsushin Gakkaishi [JSICR Journal], 31(4),51-59(in Japanese).
Masaki, D. (2018). Shonin yokkyu ni tsuite no shinrigakuteki kosatsu: Gendai no wakamono to SNS to no kanren kara [Psychological considerations on the need for approval: The connections between contemporary youth and SNS services]. Gendai Shakai Kenkyuka Ronshu: Kyoto Joshi Daigaku Daigakuin Gendai Shakai Kenkyuka Hakase Koki Katei Kenkyu Kiyo [Contemporary Society Bulletin], 12,25–44(in Japanese).
Masaki, D. (2020). Naze wareware wa SNS ni ison suru no ka?: SNS ni"hamaru"shinri [Why do we depend on social networking services?: ‘Addictive’ psychology in social networking services]. Gendai Shakai Kenkyuka Ronshu: Kyoto Joshi Daigaku Daigakuin Gendai Shakai Kenkyuka Hakase Koki Katei Kenkyu Kiyo [Contemporary Society Bulletin], 14,161–170(in Japanese).
Nakagawa, A. (2023). Z sedai no kyokan no shiko kara kangaeru wakamono no shohi to komyunikeshon ni kansuru kenkyu [A study on consumption and communication among young people from the perspective of "Empathy Orientation" of generation Z]. Shizuoka Bunka Geijutsu Daigaku Kenkyu Kiyo [Shizuoka University of Art and Culture bulletin], 23,37–44(in Japanese).
Nakamura, F., & HIguchi, K., & Nakagawa, K. (2023). Uraaka hoyu wa yaku hansu,hiroyuki shi wa shinrai atsui infuruensa: 2 daigaku de okonatta Z sedai daigakusei no ninshiki chosa kiso hokoku [Secret account ownership among half of the students, and Hiroyuki is a trusted influencer: Perception survey and basic report of generation Z college students at two universities]. Shokei Gakusou [Journal of business and economics], 70(3),187–209(in Japanese).
Nakamura, S. (2017). Daigakusei ni okeru sns riyo to jiko hyoshutsu keiko to no kanren [Relationship between usage of Social Network Services and self-presentation in japanese university students]. Nihon Fukushi Daigaku Zengaku Kyoiku Senta Kiyo [The journal of Inter-Departmental Education Center], 5,1–12(in Japanese).
Nishio, T., & Kakishima, A. (2023). Senzaiteki honichi gaikokujinryokosha no sedai betsu bunseki: Koronaka ni okeru gaikokujinryokosha o taisho to shita honichiryoko ni taisuru ishikichosa kara [Generational analysis of potential inbound tourists to Japan: A survey of foreign travelers’ attitudes on visiting Japan under the Covid-19 situation]. Nihon Kokusai Kanko Gakkai Rombunshu [JAFIT international tourism review], 30,83–93(in Japanese).
Okamoto, T. (2017). SNS sutoresu shakudo no sakusei to SNS riyodoki no chigai ni yoru SNS sutoresu [Developing the Social Networking Service stress scale and analyzing the relation between SNS motivations and subjective wellbeing]. Shinshu Daigaku Jimbun Kagaku Ronshu [Shinshu studies in humanities], 4,113–131(in Japanese).
Okamura, T., & Tanei, S. (2020). Seinenki koki no sns akaunto hoyusu to jiko impei keiko no kanren [Relationship between amount of SNS accounts and self-concealment in late adolescents]. Nara Gakuen Daigaku Kiyo [Bulletin of Nara Gakuen University], 12,23–28(in Japanese).
Sato, H., & Yajima, R. (2017). Daigakusei no SNS ni okeru taijin sutoresu keiken: shakaiteki nettowaku to no kanren [The relationships between the interpersonal stressors and the social: Networks on the social networking services]. Shinshu Daigaku Jimbun Kagaku Ronshu [Shinshu studies in humanities], 4,53–63(in Japanese).
Yashio, K. (2023). Rikiddo shohi ni okeru hora kontentsu no sonzaikan: Zsedai 1200nin chosa kara mieru genjo to kanosei [The presence of horror content in liquid cousumption: Current status and potential as seen from a survey of 1,200 Gen Z Consumers]. Gendai Keiei Keizai Kenkyu [Shinshu studies in humanities], 6(1),112–136(in Japanese).
Downloads
Posted
Submitted: 2024-06-26 01:37:40 UTC
Published: 2024-07-04 10:34:36 UTC
License
Copyright (c) 2024
Koki Higuchi
Fumiaki Nakamura
Koichi Nakagawa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
