The Use of Second Accounts Among Communication Science Students at Surabaya State University

Abstract

Digital transformation has shifted interpersonal communication patterns to digital spaces, raising concerns about social media's ability to replace intimate face-to-face communication. This study analyzes the effectiveness of social media platforms as a substitute for intimate communication using a quantitative approach through a questionnaire of 118 active users. The results reveal an intensive usage pattern (average 1-4 hours/day) with Instagram and WhatsApp as the dominant platforms. Primary motivations include entertainment (75.4%), communication (64.4%), and monitoring social activities (49.2%). Some 62.7% of respondents have a second account to manage their digital identity, primarily for privacy (37.8%) and self-expression (33.8%). Social media is considered effective as a substitute for intimate communication (average satisfaction score 8.3/10), with chat/DM features being the primary tool (72%). The most dominant reason for having a second account is privacy (37.8%), followed by self-expression (33.8%), and interaction with close friends (24.3%). These findings indicate that second accounts are used as more closed personal spaces, allowing users to express themselves freely without pressure from a public audience. The theory used is context collapse, where individuals face identity dilemmas in front of a heterogeneous audience. Creating a second account becomes an adaptive strategy to separate social contexts, manage privacy boundaries, and maintain a safer and more authentic space for expression.

Keywords: second account, gen z, context collapse, social media, privacy