Representational image.

Did you know there may be people around you who are completely incognito? It could be your sister, brother or your best friend. Or maybe you too are incognito. Well, I don’t mean in real life.

 I’m sure that if you’ve ever gone on Facebook or Instagram or any website where there are forums to discuss various topics, you’ll find that there are many users who don’t use their own photos as their profile picture or many who don’t even use their own names. Many use either animes that they’ve had a computer program to generate or they’ll use photos of celebrities, and many don’t have a profile picture at all. But not having a profile picture does not automatically equate to being incognito. Sometimes not having one, especially if you’re a female, is a safe thing to do.

But many people are incognito, not only because they want to be safe online, but because they just want to be someone else. They literally have a different online identity to the one they have in everyday life. Apparently, according to a survey of around 2,000 people, approximately half of those surveyed admitted to having a split personality, if you will. They have an entirely different identity online compared to how they appear in everyday life.

An older man who might be an office worker with a basic education, for example, might present himself as a young male doctor or a university professor. And because he’s online we don’t actually know who or what he is. In fact, many of those who live a double life (online and off) never tell their families and friends about it. Imagine they get a friend’s request or connection request from someone they think they don’t know when, in fact, it might be a brother or sister or cousin or friend.

In fact, I know from experience, that some people I’ve known have given themselves a completely different name on Facebook. I know this because I know his real name but he is now going by his favourite celebrity’s name. If I’m searching for him by name through my friend’s list, it’s extremely difficult because I’m searching by his real name. Why he’s done that, I don’t know.

Why do people do this online and on social media? Those around 28 years old said that they felt more comfortable expressing their opinions online when no one knows who they are. They find it easier speaking up incognito than they do in real life.

To some extent, I get where they’re coming from. There may be a myriad of reasons why someone might want to say something online when no one knows who they are and, therefore, won’t be able to judge them.

They might have mental health issues that they want to tell someone about, or a family problem, and doing so in disguise would protect them and their family. It will protect them from being judged by a bunch of people they don’t know and from being hurt by what the person in disguise is revealing about them to complete strangers.

I suppose this is why in the West there are many helplines you can call anonymously. In fact, they encourage you to be anonymous to persuade you to call and discuss your problems with a complete stranger.

Moreover, many people are ‘woke’ and speaking up for or against it might land them in trouble depending upon where they are and what they do. This also applies to politics. In many cases it’s unhealthy to express political views. But there are many people who have very strong feelings about certain issues. Some either discuss it with family and close friends in private or create a completely new online persona so that they can express their views freely. That way, they don’t lose family, friends or their job over politics (and many have). Plus they protect themselves from the other forces that may or may not like their views.

Of course there are some people who are just plain evil. We now call them scammers (if they’re aim is to financially rip you off) or predators who prey on little children. That is the worst kind.