Abstract
The ability for users to present themselves online is becoming increasingly easier. This, combined with the digitisation of dating has allowed online dating application users to create an online identity that may not be authentic to who they are offline. This conference paper explores the way in which the features of online dating platform, Tinder, allows a user to construct an online identity that differs from their offline identity. The features of Tinder, that this essay presents as allowing an unauthentic self to be created, include the photos and bio text that are present on the user profile, as well as the messaging capabilities that are given to users post-match.
Introduction
Everyone has an identity. Social networking sites and online spaces have become an increasingly popular way for people to express this self-identity. Increased online self-presentation combined with the digitisation of dating, has encouraged the emergence of online dating applications, designed to be solely for the use of finding potential romantic partners. When presented with the opportunity to create a profile, that strangers will judge in order to make a quick decision of whether to connect or not, dating app users utilise features of the platform to create an identity that they feel will allow for a better opportunity of connecting with or attracting a greater number of potential partners. This essay will argue that the features of online dating applications, such as Tinder, allow users to create an online identity that differs from that of their offline self in terms of authenticity. In order to understand the use of features, it is essential to know how Tinder works. Users review other user profiles in a gamified way of swiping left or right, to either reject or ‘match’ with them (Newett et al., 2018). If both users swipe right to facilitate a match when viewing each other’s profiles, then they will be given access to messaging capabilities to converse with each other over the platform (Newett et al., 2018). This process greatly impacts the way that users present themselves in this online dating space. While online identities can range from an authentic self to a completely fraudulent profile, this essay will focus on how the idealised, yet unauthentic portrayal of oneself is created through features such as images, bio, and messages.
Photos
The first experience of other users on Tinder is their photos, which can lead to users selecting photos of themselves that may not be authentic and do not represent how they look offline, in order to gain more attention from other users. Users will make their decision of whether to engage further with another user’s profile, by swiping left or right, to express interest in someone with a ‘match’ or reject someone, based on the visual component of the profile. The process of swiping on user profiles, matching or rejecting, is heavily gamified, encouraging users to make a quick decision based off their initial impression (LeFebvre, 2017). Because of this initial visual impression that matching with other users is based on, when creating a profile, users will include photos that present themselves in a way that is attractive and appealing to other users (Chamourian, 2017). Users do this by filtering all photos of themselves (van Hoof, 2019), using strategies such as including only photos with flattering poses, makeup or using older images to appear younger (Dunlop, 2018), in order to present only photos that highlight favourable traits and hide others that they do not wish to share. As the focus of dating apps is to connect with other people to find a romantic partner, some users may take presenting flattering photographs to a new level. Some dating app users may be inclined to edit their own photos to appear more attractive or conceal parts of their visual appearance that they may be insecure about (Ranzini & Lutz, 2017). While the inclusion of photos allows users to share their physical features, such as age, gender, hair colour and height, it is also a useful tool in order to visually communicate personal interests and hobbies, based on what the user is doing in the photographs (Chamourian, 2017). In choosing photographs with this in mind, users can select photos that not only create an unauthentic physical self-image, based on looks, but they also have the opportunity to portray a false idea of the kind of life they live and activities they like to take part in (Dunlop, 2018). As the nature of Tinder is based heavily on the photos that users provide in order to portray themselves, there is a lot of value that is given to these photos. Because of this high value placed on images, users frequently present an idealised version of themselves to demonstrate to others that they are worthy of being matched with, doing this through choosing specific and flattering photos to include, as well as providing images that may be modified to increase desirability.
Bio Text
The limited amount of text that can be included in a user’s profile on Tinder means that a user will try and include information that is relevant, yet information that they think will have the greatest impact on users who may have interest in them. This creates an issue of authenticity, as users are only presenting one part of themselves, that is usually only the positive side, in order to make themselves appear more desirable. Text information that is usually included in a user’s profile includes age, location, occupation, the university they attend and a free space for users to write their own bio text. This bio text is often what users start conversations about (Dunlop, 2018) with people including questions or funny anecdotes in this area. Humour is also utilised in bios to grasp another user’s attention, as the brief initial interaction that users have with each other requires a quick hook in order to encourage them to swipe right to create a match (Dunlop, 2018). This use of humour is also unauthentic, as users who have jokes in their profile bio will not constantly be joking or funny, however that is the part of themselves that they are choosing to highlight and share, in order to make themselves seem like they are more fun and consequently more worthy of being matched with (Dunlop, 2018). The use of the preset information fields, such as age, location, occupation, and university also give more insight into who a person is (Chamourian, 2017). While age and location are required to be shown on their profile, the user has the ability choose to exclude information about their job, which would allow them to withhold information about their financial status, therefore letting them potentially construct a different narrative about the type of life they lead (Chamourian, 2017). Another way that people can misrepresent themselves through Tinder bios is by including false information regarding the type of relationship they are looking for (Chamourian, 2017). Users have the ability to encourage more users to swipe right to create more matches, by including information that implies they are looking for a serious relationship, however users could take advantage of this, by saying they are looking for a relationship, when they may actually only be after a casual encounter (Chamourian, 2017), therefore deceiving other users into matching with them for their own personal gain. Users create a curated self-identity through the limited amount of text they can display on their profile, for other users to view briefly. It is through the inclusion of only interesting information and omitting of information that implies lower desirability that users create their idealised online persona, that they believe will encourage more matches.
Messaging Capabilities
While the exchanged interaction with another user in the form of messages, could seem to provide more authenticity of what a person is like, it is also possible for the user to still conceal parts of themselves that they do not wish to share. On Tinder, once both users express their interest in each other through a match, the platform allows messaging capabilities to occur between the two. It is through these messages that they can get to know each other better through personal communication, rather than the viewing of curated and limited images and text they provide for the greater group of users to preview and hopefully gain interest. While they are having a more personal connection with each other, there is still room for an unauthentic self-presentation to occur. Once they have matched with another user, users can control their behaviour, in order to act in a certain way that would be more favourable and indicative of being a good potential partner, in a process called impression management (Ward, 2016). It is common for users to present themselves as being more outgoing over online messages, while they may actually be more reserved or shy in a physical, offline setting (Chamourian, 2017). Users who are less confident with their offline self-identity, are more likely to use Tinder in a way that presents an unauthentic version of themselves (Ranzini & Lutz, 2017). This may be due to users feeling as though they need to pretend that they are confident in order to appear as a better option for someone to match with (Ranzini & Lutz, 2017). Users engage in self disclosure after matching with another user, to share personal details about themselves, however due to the uncertain nature of talking openly with a stranger, users will not freely share personal information about themselves, as they may not be comfortable (Ward, 2016). This, in turn, creates an alternate identity of the user that is free from personal or private information, that is created not to deceive, but to protect themselves. Although this identity is created with their safety in mind, it is still another version that users create of themselves, that conceals information about who they are. After matching with another user, the need to present an idealised self-identity does not cease, users still wish to present themselves as a favourable partner candidate, in order to ensure that they have demonstrated the best persona to foster attraction and connection with the other user.
Conclusion
The features of Tinder, such as the photos users present, the bio information they include and the way they interact via messaging, allow a user to create an alternate identity in order to attract more potential partners. The users carefully curate their online identity, in order to cater to the way Tinder works, which can result in it being an unauthentic representation of self. The brief way the user profiles are initially engaged with, may influence users to utilise the features in a way that presents themselves in a more favourable light, to attract attention quickly and encourage other users to express their interest in them, by swiping right to facilitate a match. While the curation of self-presentation is not limited to dating apps, it is common for identities on these platforms to be idealised, therefore meaning that the identities of those who exist on these platforms are presented as an unauthentic, elevated representation of self.
References
Chamourian, E. (2017). Identity performance and self presentation through dating app profiles: How individuals curate profiles and participate on bumble. [Master’s thesis, The American University of Paris (France)]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/a50045f5889138d0facefc0d61e87e22/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2026366&diss=y
Dunlop, J. (2018). App-ily ever after – self-presentation and perception of others on the dating app Tinder. [Master’s thesis, University of Central Florida] University of Central Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0007325
LeFebvre, L. (2017). Swiping me off my feet: Explicating relationship initiation on Tinder. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35(9), 1205-1229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407517706419
Newett, L., Churchill, B., & Robards, B. (2018). Forming connections in the digital era: Tinder, a new tool in young Australian intimate life. Journal of Sociology, 54(3), 346–361. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783317728584
Ranzini, G., & Lutz, C. (2017). Love at first swipe? Explaining Tinder self presentation and motives. Mobile Media & Communication, 5(1), 80-101. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157916664559
van Hoof, J. (2019). Swipe Right? Tinder, commitment and the commercialisation of intimate life. In J. Carter & L. Arocha, Romantic relationships in a time of ‘cold intimacies’ (pp. 109-127). Springer International Publishing AG. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/detail.action?docID=5969393
Ward, J. (2016). Swiping, Matching, Chatting: Self-Presentation and Self Disclosure on Mobile Dating Apps. Human IT, 13(2), 81-95. https://humanit.hb.se/article/view/516
Hi L, The thing is the paper is mainly concentrated on the African continent particularly.If you make an analysis of…