An Examination of the Impact of Social Media Anonymity and Intensity of Online Conflict and Aggressive Behavior

Authors

  • Shams-ur- Rehman Lecturer, Department of Media & Communication Studies, Karakoram International University, Gilgit, Pakistan
  • Nazia Rehman Department of Media and Communication Studies, Rawalpindi Women University, Pakistan
  • Sadaf Saleem NUST School of Health Sciences, National university of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Yasmeen Amir Jaffri Former Assistant Professor, Interior Design NCA, Practicing Interior Designer, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47067/ramss.v8i1.457

Keywords:

Social Media, Anonymity, Online Aggression, Algorithmic Influence, Regression Analysis, Correlation Analysis, Anova, University Students, Digital Hostility

Abstract

The paper explores the impact of social media anonymity and algorithmic influence in the creation of cyber aggression by university students of Punjab. It is a survey-based study where a total sample size of 350 has been taken from university students for quantitative research design, and structured questionnaire was applied for data collection purposes. Interrelationships between anonymity, algorithmic amplification, and online aggression are identified by performing correlation analysis. Regression analysis was carried out to determine the effects of the variables, and ANOVA to test for differences in aggression levels between demographic groups and social media use. Strong interrelations were established between social media anonymity, algorithmic influence, and increased aggression in the statistical analysis. This therefore reveals that both anonymity and the design of algorithms define behavior on the Internet. Data anonymization, voluntariness, and confidence in online communication were considered to form ethical guidelines. This research suggests that the undermining of digital hostility is crucial without jeopardizing anonymity.

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Published

2025-02-01

How to Cite

Rehman, S.- ur-., Rehman, N., Saleem, S. ., & Jaffri, Y. A. (2025). An Examination of the Impact of Social Media Anonymity and Intensity of Online Conflict and Aggressive Behavior. Review of Applied Management and Social Sciences, 8(1), 279-290. https://doi.org/10.47067/ramss.v8i1.457