ABSTRACT
Dating and courtship practices have evolved with the introduction of automobiles, birth control pills, telephones, answering machines, and the internet. The reduced cues online environment amplifies the importance of subtle social or personality cues in online interactions. This amplification results in “over-attribution,” whereby people tend to build stereotypical representations of their interaction partners via overreliance on minimal cues to inform their perception. With the advent of computer-mediated communication, concerns of deceptive self-(re)presentation—and how to detect it—quickly emerged and continue to occupy academic and public minds. Steve and Alex had similar perceptions of Grindr, and both intended to foster specific connections with other users. To achieve their aims, both used strategic self-(re)presentation in their profile, but in different ways. Coupland’s description of “promoting or ‘selling’ of selves” and “attracting or ‘buying’ of others” lends additional insight into understanding the role of profile pictures in user visibility.
