Sexual self-presentation is a form of nonverbal communication that involves presenting oneself physically, verbally, or through images to communicate sexual intentions, desires, or interests. It includes dressing appropriately for one's gender and age, smiling and maintaining eye contact, speaking confidently but politely, flirting subtly and appropriately, and using body language such as touching and posture to signal interest in someone else. Online, people can make profiles on dating apps, social media platforms, websites, chat rooms, and forums where they can create their own image based on text, photos, videos, and audio clips. The perceived value and importance of this presentation vary according to individual differences including culture, race/ethnicity, religion, personality type, socioeconomic status, education level, physical attractiveness, and others.
Perceived social capital is the recognition and respect given to an individual within a group or society based on qualities such as intelligence, creativity, wisdom, and experience. This can be measured in terms of how well one communicates ideas, interacts with peers, influences opinions, makes decisions, and manages resources. High social capital indicates greater access to information, opportunities, and support from others while low social capital leads to isolation and disconnection. Sexual self-presentation online may affect social capital by changing perceptions of one's personality traits, skills, knowledge, abilities, personal attributes, and credibility.
Posting provocative content could show high confidence, assertiveness, competence, and risk-taking but also lack empathy, responsibility, and honesty.
Attractiveness is a subjective judgment of visual appeal that incorporates facial symmetry, body shape, grooming habits, dress, and other physical features. It plays a large role in mate selection as it signals health, fitness, fertility, and desirability. Online sexual self-presentation can influence attraction by highlighting specific characteristics like muscle definition, hair length, makeup application, jewelry choices, tattoos, piercings, and hairstyles.
Too much emphasis on appearance or superficial aspects may lead to unfair comparisons between individuals which could result in lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and body image issues.
Relational desirability refers to the degree of interest shown by potential partners towards a relationship and includes qualities such as trustworthiness, loyalty, dependability, reliability, commitment, compatibility, intimacy, and exclusivity. Online sexual self-presentation can impact relational desirability through communication style, willingness to engage, openness to vulnerability, level of reciprocity, and ability to meet needs for security, comfort, and support. Posting provocative images could increase interest but reduce seriousness while sharing personal details could show honesty and transparency but reveal private information. Inconsistent behavior could indicate lack of integrity or emotional stability while negative language could signal poor attitude and hostility.
To what extent does sexual self-presentation online affect perceived social capital, attractiveness, and relational desirability?
When we talk about sexual self-presentation on online dating platforms like Tinder or Bumble, it is essential to consider how this can impact our perception of ourselves and others' perceptions of us. In terms of social capital, our online persona may be seen as more appealing if we present ourselves in a way that aligns with social norms and expectations.