Virtual life has surpassed real life for many of us, lately. By just how much has been measured by Squarespace and The Harris Poll, which looked at the impressions online life makes versus real life.
To understand the results fully, it’s probably best to start with this finding: 60% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials believe how you present yourself online is more important than how you present yourself in person. Gen Z has better recall of the last website they visited (43%) than of their partner’s birthday (38%) or their Social Security number (31%). They’re even more likely to remember the color of a website than someone’s eye color.
With such weight placed on online interactions, Gen Z and millennials put effort into how they are perceived online: 44% of Gen Z and 39% of millennials say they make a better impression online than in person.
But real life isn’t put on pause. Ninety-two percent of Gen Z is multitasking—eating (59%), listening to music (59%), talking on the phone (45%), or even dancing (28%) while scrolling screens. Overall, people surveyed said their online time happens while they’re watching TV (59%), in bed (65%), or on the toilet (43%).
The primary concern of people who are online is…other people. A weekly habit for some of those surveyed is snooping on exes (20%) and their current romantic partners (32%). The latter is even more prevalent among Gen Z (51%) and millennials (55%). Of people who do meet up IRL, 86% of Gen Z and 79% of millennials look someone up online before meeting them for the first time, compared to 65% of Gen X and 44% of baby boomers.
