My research focuses on the social consequences of online communication technologies and social media. Specifically, I investigate the specific characteristics that define communication technologies and social media. These design characteristics, or affordances, in turn affect how people experience these technologies, how they use them, and how they are affected by them. The specific topics I study are (a) social media influencers and how they affect their followers’ attitudes and behaviors, (b) the effect of visual versus textual information in online dating profiles, (c) dehumanization in virtual & augmented reality and how this may change interpersonal communication, and (d) the consequences of online interaction for social development.
Social media influencers
Social media influencers have a huge impact on the attitudes and behaviors of their followers. In our research, we try to investigate the underlying processes that explain how influencers affect their followers’ attitudes and behavior, such as their similarity to and identification with the influencers. We investigate the effects influencers may have on their followers’ self-esteem, healthy behavior, and well-being. Finally, we try to uncover what makes people susceptible to misinformation by influencers, and how people can resist misinformation.
Online dating
Online dating is extremely popular. At least 60% of singles have tried or are currently online dating, and estimates are that 20% of current couples have met online. In this project, we study how people form impressions of each other’s attractiveness on online dating sites. We investigate the different visual and textual cues that affect impression formation, what makes a dating profile original, and how conversations develop once matches are established.
Dehumanization
In a previous study, we found that people who interact via a robot are seen as having more robot-like characteristics. These results match more fundamental research on online dehumanization and what determines whether we perceive others as humans. Currently, we are investigating how people construct avatars, and what avatar characteristics determine human-ness of these avatars. We hope that this research will ultimately contribute to how we can make online communication more humane and less polarized and anonymous.
Online social development
Starting with my PhD research, I have continuously investigated the effects of online communication on social development. Specifically, I focused on the effects of online self-presentation and online self-disclosure on adolescents’ social development. In contrast to popular thought, it turns out that effects are positive though small. For most people, online communication is beneficial. For example, for adolescents it is sometimes easier and safer to express themselves online than offline, social media may stimulate social capital development, and adolescents use social media to develop their identity, all with positive consequences for social development. However, new developments in social media use require new research. Online and offline interaction increasingly overlap, leading to us spending ever more time using social media in our daily lives and less time spent offline with friends. The emphasis on physical appearance of visual applications such as Instagram and Snapchat may affect adolescents’ self-esteem and well-being. Information we put online remains online and may be used & abused by others. These and other issues require further investigation into the use and effects of modern social media applications.