Topic > Social Media Personas and Real-Life Behavior - 1528

Twitter use involves special factors that create a unique psychological environment for the user. Amichai-Hamburger (2007) believed that with the help of Twitter people can easily maintain their anonymity by creating multiple accounts. In fact, users can choose a false name and falsify or hide other personal and identifying data. Turkle's (2002) theory that people in secrecy tend to express themselves more freely and sincerely than they would in a face-to-face interaction because they are not subject to the usual social rules and norms. This theory provides insight into the problem of online interaction. Consequently, anonymity may also encourage people to explore different aspects of their identity in a way that is not possible or sanctioned under traditional social rules and norms (Turkle, 1995). Twitter makes physical appearance in social interaction limited. (Amichai-Hamburger, 2007). Cialdani (1984) suggested that attractive people have a huge social advantage, are more liked, helped more frequently and are considered to possess better personality traits and intellectual abilities or better known as the “halo effect”. Just as the halo effect works in favor of physically attractive people, the opposite is true for physically unattractive people or what is called the “horns effect”. Indeed, Hatfield and Spreecher (1986) argue that the first physical impression is likely to set the course for the rest of the interaction. In contrast, a typical Twitter interaction is purely text-based, participants' physical characteristics remain hidden, which would be significant for people with unsightly or unattractive physical characteristics who may face discrimination in a face-to-face setting. . middle of paper......Changizi, M. (2010). Social media with multiple personalities. Retrieved from Science 20 website: http://www.science20.com/mark_changizi/multiple_personality_social_mediaGilley, J. (2013). We can't all get along: Social media profiles. Retrieved from Copy Press website: http://www.copypress.com/blog/cant-we-all-just-get-along-social-media-profiles/Millan, M. (2010). Surprise: the Twitter me is not the real me. Retrieved from the LA Times website: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/14/business/la-fi-twitter-20100514Tracy, S. (2011). How many personas do you keep online (and why). Retrieved from Freelance Folder website: http://freelancefolder.com/how-many-personas-do-you-maintain-online-and-why/Whitney, L. (2010) “Twitter, Facebook Use up 82 Percent” , excerpted from Cnet News Online: http://news. cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10457480-93.html?tag=mncol;post