You might think social networks are about presenting your real self to the world without faking anything since you can control what you share without actually being untruthful, right? Sitting comfortably behind your screen and dropping nasty comments on sites can be saved for when you’re hiding behind an anonymous username, after all.
Quite unsurprisingly, people don’t play by the same rules on social networks, according to a new study by Aalto University. As if you needed a report to tell you that folks don’t exactly take off their masks when they’re on Facebook or any similar social networking site where friends or colleagues are familiar with their profiles.
Aalto University researchers took at close look at Facebook and a music website and discovered that users may follow certain behaviors in keeping with the image they intend to portray to others. Now just wait a minute here, doesn’t this happen offline in the real world too?
Interesting read: Facebook can make you narcissist and less empathic, says research
We apparently resort to all the pretending because people are harshly judgmental about those who offer an unauthentic picture of their individuality to others. Folks on social networks are thought to be particularly hard on members who share content in excess or in an attention-seeking way or in any sort of fake manner.
Since online social norms expect users to be real, they feel the pressure to fine-tune or control their instincts when it comes to sharing stuff online. This introduces an element of deception because some do not share content which might annoy others or imply any lack of authenticity on their part.
If you really want to find out what your friends are like when they think no one’s looking, try to dig hard for their secret YouTube usernames and see who they’ve been trolling.