The reasons why respondents do not use real-life profile photos are highly similar: one is the psychological protection of appearance privacy under the social relationship of the differential mode of association; the other is to pay attention to the judgment and vision of others, and be cautious about the presentation of self-image; the third is to emphasize the spiritual self and tend to express oneself through the objects.
“We can use virtual proxies such as avatars to accurately infer personality information about others,” the study authors conclude.
The impressions we make on others online may have an important impact on our real life, such as who becomes intrigued by the possibility of our friendship.
Since your profile picture serve as the handiest source of what kind of person you are to strangers or people unfamiliar, it can leave a strong influence on how others think of you in the long term.
For example, a lonely silhouette makes others feel distant while a warm smile brings sincerity.
