September 9, 2008

Multiple Identities Allow Teens To Create Boundaries In Online Social Networks

Email, IM, And Social Network Strategists: Help Teens Manage Multiple IDs While Preserving Privacy

by Sally M. Cohen

with Michelle de Lussanet, Abe Garon, Dan Wilkos

Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Tech-savvy teens live a splintered life online: 49% have more than one alias for email, instant messaging (IM), or social networks. These multiple online identities allow teens to draw boundaries among members of their social networks, as well as create levels of privacy. Teens who have more than one alias online prove to be an attractive segment of users, but today's email, IM, and social networking providers are missing the mark on tools to accommodate these multiple identities. To meet this need, product strategists must offer finely tuned controls for identity and social network management for those teens who have multiple online aliases, IM, email, and social networking accounts. The payoff? Greater loyalty from this important customer segment.

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