Social Utilitarianism in Digital Interactions and Distant Worlds

Online social networks are increasingly consequential in individuals’ professional and personal lives, as many people engage online to create maintain meaningful relationships satisfy their needs for connection. People tend curate representations (profile pictures different websites, videogame avatars, bitmojis, profile page bios, etc.) with almost much regularity corporeal (real-world) self-presentation. As such, the current study explored socially utilitarian choices make when presenting themselves both virtual public spheres. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing various aspects of self-presentation behavior real-life, media, videogames. We found several differences strategies offline contexts based primarily on ethnoracial background, sex, skin tone. Minority women (particularly Multiracial women) reported dyeing hair significantly more than White women, overwhelming majority lighter color natural color. Women use emojis exclamation points emails digital interactions men, they likely lightening filters before posting selfie media. In addition, we descriptive pattern indicating that straight bisexual dating men lesbians women. Finally, videogames, who below average height creating avatars were taller were, individuals darker tones own, introverts pretend be extroverted videogames extroverts pretending introverted. This highlights importance people’s lives utilize align how believe perceived idealized version themselves, or will confer greater capital what naturally embody. Given increasing possibilities identity customization sphere, further research is needed fully understand complex relationship between