To stay safer online To be open about part of your life (such as LGBTQ+ identity, mental illness, or disability) without it being linked back to you offline So you can share things without them coming up when an employer searches your name online To enjoy yourself online without a controlling relative watching
Don’t pretend to know a lot about something you don’t understand. If a real expert comes along, you could end up embarrassing yourself. Stick to things you actually know. Pretending to be a member of a minority group that you aren’t part of can feel insulting to them. [2] X Research source You could make a lot of people very upset with you if they found out. Don’t pretend to have an illness or disability that you don’t have in real life. That’s not fair to people who do live with these things.
Name and age Appearance (hair and eye color, height, build) Birthday Family and pets General region (keeping time zone in mind) General life history Career or field of study Personality traits and interests (similar, but not exactly the same as your own)
You can make an email address related to your fake name (like violinistjane42) or make it random.
Secret identities are more common on sites like Tumblr as opposed to Facebook and LinkedIn. For example, WordPress will share your email address and IP address to any website you comment on. [4] X Research source Consider using a VPN.
A cartoon drawing (made with Picrew or another profile picture creator) resembling what your fake identity looks like A face from the website This Person Does Not Exist[5] X Research source (Refresh the page until you get a believable image that matches the right demographic) A very generic, zoomed-in photo of a flower, cloud, or other generic nature item
“man dats bunk dude. i mean really dats sum major bull rite there. you wanna know what i think? he should be locked the heck up” “Wow. I can’t believe that. . . That’s not right. I think he should be thrown in jail. " “Well, I am astonished to hear that. What this man did was unbelievable, and in my opinion, he should be sent to prison. "
Relationship status Family and friend stories Life at work or school
It’s more fun if your online self likes some of the same things that your real-life self does.
“I’m not comfortable sharing my face online. That’s why I like using avatars I made on Picrew. " “I don’t like to share details of my location on the internet for safety reasons. Even if I trust you, I know there are hackers and people with bad intentions. I feel better being cautious. "
Pick a few favorite things that don’t match up with who you really are. For example, if your favorite color is purple in real life, then pretend it’s blue online. Use a different browser. For example, if you usually use Firefox under your real name, try using Chrome for your fake identity. Pick different favorite hangouts. For example, if you prefer Twitter and Facebook under your real name, maybe you’d prefer to use Tumblr and Instagram under your fake name. Use a VPN to hide your IP address. (If anyone mentions your IP address, just say “I use a VPN for extra security” and leave it at that. )
Where you live, work, or go to school Your real name Anything sexual
“I use a fake identity because my parents are controlling and it would be dangerous if they found out I’m queer. I know it’s ironic, but a fake name makes it safe for me to be my real self. " “Yes, I realize I was inconsistent. I change a few personal details because I’m using a fake name. If I were found out, I could be outed as autistic under my real name and it could affect my job prospects. I promise I’m being genuine about the real things. Changing some details helps me stay safe. " “My parents tell me to always be careful online, so I decided to use a fake name for extra safety. "
