Self-disclosure versus self-presentation on social media

Online communication differs from face-to-face communication in multiple ways. Because of these differences, there is an ongoing debate regarding whether people disclose their true selves on social media, or whether they present an idealized or socially appropriate version of themselves. Whereas some features of online communication (such as anonymity and reduced information richness) have been argued to increase self-disclosure, there are other features (such as asynchronicity, multiple audiences, and audience feedback) that favor self-presentation. In this article, I review the literature on the effect of these five medium characteristics on whether individuals self-disclose or manage impressions on social media, and if managed, in what way.