We often like and share posts online without actually thinking whether these things actually represent us correctly or not.
New research reveals that people can form inaccurate impressions about us based on our social media posts, marking the first study to explore perceptions of personalities through online posts.
Let's find out more about it.
How it was tested
The study delved into Facebook status updates and revealed notable disparities between how viewers perceived the authors in terms of various personality traits and the authors' own self-perceptions.
Notably, Facebook users were consistently rated by viewers as having lower self-esteem and being more self-revealing than the users themselves believed.
Interestingly, the presence of multimedia elements, such as photos, videos, or links, in status updates led to more accurate assessments compared to text-only updates.
The researchers argue that the study provides insight into the dynamic process by which a cyber audience constructs our digital identity using isolated fragments of shared information.
The lead author underscores that a mismatch between online perceptions and our self-view might impact our ability to feel connected and derive benefits from social media interaction.
Why it's important
The study highlights the importance of considering cultural norms when interpreting perceptions, as Facebook status updates generated perceptions consistent with offline cultural norms regarding gender and ethnicity, even when viewers were blind to users' identities.
Future research is recommended to explore this meaning-making process with larger samples on other platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
The findings could aid developers in designing interfaces that allow users to express themselves more authentically.
Previously, we talked about the impact of caring adults on children.
