Vnímání anonymity v online komunikaci
| Title in English | Perception of anonymity in online communication |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Research report |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Description | Anonymity represents a key factor that can significantly influence users’ behavior on the internet. It is most commonly defined as unidentifiability; however, its conceptualization takes various forms in light of the contemporary online environment, which offers different tools for achieving anonymity. The literature rarely provides a clear and unambiguous definition of what anonymity precisely means or how it is understood by users themselves (Scott & Rains, 2020). Subjective perceptions of anonymity play a crucial role in understanding why people sometimes behave aggressively online—for example, through insults, hateful comments, or cyberbullying. At the same time, anonymity can also encourage positive behaviors, such as confidential and safe sharing of concerns or sensitive topics. In our research based on focus groups, we focused on a more detailed mapping of what people understand by the concept of online anonymity. The study aimed to understand what it means to be anonymous in today’s online environment, how this perception differs among internet users—particularly with regard to implications for information sharing—and how this understanding varies across different online platforms. Our data confirmed that perceptions of anonymity are a context-dependent and dynamic phenomenon. The study is part of a broader project focused on online anonymity, and the findings from the qualitative research are complemented in this report by the results of a survey targeting adult internet users in the Czech Republic. |
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