The document discusses how people present different identities online than they do in real life. Some people intentionally misrepresent themselves by altering photos or personal details to appear more attractive. This can help them find partners online but harms the authenticity of the relationships. Relationships are more likely to succeed if people are truthful about their identity and allow partners to understand their real personality through online communication before meeting in person. However, solely online relationships can still succeed if both users understand the relationship will not translate to the real world. Further research is needed to understand why people behave differently online and how it impacts relationship outcomes.

1. Identity Digitalized:
How the presentation of online users’ identity affects their online
relationships
Allison Walsh

2. How well do you really know someone? Furthermore, how
well do you really know someone you’ve never actually
met? With the evolution of the internet, and social media,
online communication has greatly altered the process of
getting to know people.

3. “Today, the Internet rivals’ friends and public places (e.g., bars and
restaurants) as one of the most common intermediaries in the search for a
romantic partner.” (Sharabi, Caughlin 2017) Social media users’ online
presentation may vary greatly from their real-world identity. “Many
researchers have promoted the notion that online daters create idealized
images of the self with the intentional deception of appearing more
attractive online than offline.” (Fullwood, Attrill-Smith 2018)

4. The growth of social media websites, and the creation of online
dating sites has made meeting people more convenient than ever,
but the authenticity of users’ is up in the air. When identity is
digitalized, pieces can be lost in transition.

5. Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this research is to explore the
authenticity of online relationships through the
presentation of online users' identity.

6. Catfish
Nev Schulman began exploring online identity and online relationships in his
documentary Catfish which premiered in 2010 and continues to do so on MTV with
Catfish: The TV Show which he has been the host and executive producer of since
2012. Catfishing, essentially, is the act of pretending to be someone you are not
online. Schulman has exposed many catfish on his television show in the last 9
years, after having been catfished himself. Schulman investigates the authenticity of
online users’ identities and gives this information to the person pursuing the catfish.
While Schulman has outed online users’, who are less than honest, he has also
brought many people together after years of an online only relationship.

7. "I'm hopeful that in the coming years social networks will make strides to
authenticate peoples' profiles, so that you'll have to validate that it's really you
and you can't have multiple profiles. But interestingly, my gut tells me there's
going to be more Catfish stories because the more we connect with each other
online and increase our connectivity, the less we actually connect in real life with
people. For younger kids who all speak this incredible language of the internet
and are up to date with everything, all the time, all around the world, it's taking
time away from their real community. When you do that, you're spending less time
discovering who you are in real life, and you're running the risk of pouring more of
your personality into your online life." (Schulman, 2013)

8. Identity
When creating an online identity, users decide which pieces of their personality to keep, change, or
omit. In fact, users can create an entirely new identity or persona as they see fit, bending it to match
with certain individuals, or for different websites. Not only can entire personalities be changed, but
physical characteristics as well. Through photo editing, or even stealing the pictures of others, users
can create a whole new person online. This is likely due to the higher response received by users with
attractive pictures, “evidence suggests that the physical attractiveness of an online dating profile
photo provides the strongest predictor of the desirability of a profile and that online dating profiles,
which have attractive photos, receive more positive judgements.” (Fullwood, Attrill-Smith 2018). In
theory, creating a new self online could allow for perfect relationships, or relationships users perceive
as perfect. Users can mold themselves into whatever person the other wants or needs. However, the
effect is a lack of authentic relationships that don’t translate well into the real-world.

9. Authenticity
Creating different identities online while building relationships with these personas
violates the cardinal rules of trust. So long as the façade remains, the relationship stays
steady, but once it falls apart, so do the relationships. “Online daters have to walk a fine
line between presenting an attractive and idealized online self (i.e., to attract potential
dates), but at the same time reflecting an authentic version of the self in expectation of
seeking a serious romantic connection offline.” (Fullwood, AttrillSmith 2018)

10. Users who build relationships online while being authentic with their true identity have the potential to create sustainable
relationships in the real world. These users are the success stories for websites like eHarmony. Online relationships lack the
physical intimacy that real-world relationships offer. However, users who are truthful can create a deeper emotional connectedness
getting to know their partner, or friend online through communication without the obstacle of simple physical attraction. These
relationships can hold due to underlying desire for their personality rather than their physical looks that will change over time.
“Couples who met online had marriages that were more stable and satisfying than those who met offline, conceivably because the
online couples were able to be more discriminating when choosing a marital partner. Thus, there is some preliminary evidence that
the online dating experience facilitates better choices, better selections, and—as a result—maybe even better relationships.”
(Sharabi, Caughlin 2017) While the discrimination of finding partners online can be the cause of catfish, it is also the reason the
authentic users find more satisfaction in their relationships. Filters allow users to hand select the best candidates for their partners
and make better choices in pursuing relationships. Online users “reported seeking to select a mate based on features like physical
attractiveness, values and interests, socioeconomic status, personality, and honesty.” (Sharabi, Caughlin 2017)

11. RQ1: Are there factors that determine whether or not an online user will
portray themselves the same online, and offline?
RQ2: Is there a correlation between dressing yourself up offline and creating
your perfect self online?
RQ3: How likely are users to create authentic versions of themselves vs
alternate personas online?

12. Limitations and Future Research
Much of the research of online dating surrounds the success rates of these relationships. Little
research has been done to determine the effects of authenticity or alternate personas on these
relationships. This lack of research poses a problem in determining the reasons that these users
behave differently online and offline, and the likelihood of users to do so. However, there may
be a correlation between self-image online and offline. We often try to portray our best selves
offline by only showing the best characteristics of ourselves, while masking the flaws. We
worry about our self-image spending money on the biggest and best clothes, cars, and homes.
We alter our appearance with make-up, and surgeries, which isn’t all that different from
applying a filter to your profile pictures. Without any research, I can only postulate a correlation
between altering your self-image online and offline. I would propose that further research be
done on the concept.

13. The presentation of online users’ identity can have a number of effects on their
online relationships. It all relies on the authenticity and honesty of each user.
Successful relationships depend on a closely translated identity from the real-world
to the virtual world. However, relationships solely online can be successful without
this translation due to their completely online nature. It truly depends on the long-
term goals in mind, whether that’s face to face, or solely screen to screen ultimately
determines the outcome.

14. Fullwood, C., & Attrill-Smith, A. (2018). Up-Dating: Ratings of Perceived Dating Success
Are Better Online than Offline. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 21(1), 11–15.
https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.1089/cyber.2016.0631
Lewis, C. (2013, January 30). Nev Schulman on Online Dating, Cyber Bullying, and The
Manti Te'o Controversy. In Teen Vogue. Retrieved from
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/nev-schulman-catfish-interview
SHARABI, L. L., & CAUGHLIN, J. P. (2017). What predicts first date success? A longitudinal
study of modality switching in online dating. Personal Relationships, 24(2), 370–391.
https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.1111/pere.12188