Are individuals more truthful or deceptive on social media platforms?

In the early stages of the Internet, it was apparent that one of the key advantages would be allowing people to connect with others. While it serves as a hub for information and online shopping, the introduction of chat rooms soon became a space to meet new people. These chat rooms quickly evolved into online dating communities, and eventually the concept of social networks emerged. LiveJournal and Black Planet were some of the first prominent social networks, launched in 1999. However, it wasn’t until platforms like Friendster and MySpace came into play in 2002 and 2003 that social networking truly took off. MySpace offered exactly what its name promised – a space for users to call their own. People could upload photos, share music, post updates, host videos, and interact with others. It became a widely popular way to stay connected.

In 2006, Facebook revolutionized the Internet by reaching a wider and older demographic than MySpace had. People in their 30s and 40s began using social networks to reconnect with old friends, changing the Internet forever. According to a report from The Nielson Company in March 2009, social networks and blogs were now visited by over two-thirds of the online population. Social networks became the fourth most popular online activity, surpassing personal email. This trend is likely to continue, as Nielson also discovered that social networks are growing at four times the rate of any other online sector. Facebook alone is accessed by three out of every ten social network users, and one in every eleven minutes of online activity is spent on social network websites [source: Nielson].

With all the activity online, it makes you question whether people are truly being honest when sharing their achievements, posting pictures, and updating their daily lives. In the world of social media, there are no fact-checkers, so it's impossible to confirm if that old high school friend is genuinely a thriving entrepreneur or just hiding away in a dimly lit room, petting a Persian cat in his underwear.

Honesty on Social Networks

So, are people more truthful or deceitful when it comes to sharing personal details on social media? While it's impossible to know for certain, we can examine certain trends and human behaviors to make an educated guess.

Consider this: A March 2009 article from a British newspaper reported that fraud investigators are turning to Facebook to catch individuals lying in order to claim government financial benefits. They discovered that people who claimed to be single and living alone were, in reality, married or living with others. Of course, this situation involves people lying to gain money, which is different from exaggerating accomplishments to old friends. In fact, it’s the truthfulness on Facebook that’s causing problems for them in this instance.

Before social networks exploded, a study conducted at the University of Western Sydney in 2002 examined honesty in chat rooms. Out of 320 participants, they found that men were more likely to lie, typically about their income. On the other hand, women were found to lie more often for safety reasons. This isn’t too surprising – men likely lie to attract attention from women, who tend to be more cautious about sharing personal details until they feel more secure.

Internet dating platforms were once flooded with people misrepresenting their appearance, height, weight, and financial status. However, this trend has decreased as less trustworthy sites have disappeared, leaving behind more reputable ones where honest individuals seek partners or friends. Lying on dating sites doesn’t serve anyone. Why claim you’re six feet tall and athletic when you’re actually short and out of shape? The truth will become clear when you meet in person, and you’ll be exposed as a liar, likely reported and banned from the site. For instance, eHarmony.com prohibits dishonesty in its terms of service:

Dishonesty on Social Networks

When it comes to Facebook, it's commonly assumed that most users showcase only the highlights of their lives. While a few may share their deepest failures, most of the status updates you’ll come across include things like, "Closed a big deal today" or "My band just got signed." Regular Facebook users will tell you that you’re unlikely to see posts like, "I’m filing for bankruptcy" or "I gained 10 pounds last month." However, you might encounter updates that aren’t just about bragging, such as, "I don’t know how to work my TiVo" or "My cat is on life support," but these are generally cries for help or support.

Everyone lies. It’s a peculiar part of being human. A notable study about lying in e-mails was conducted in 2008 by Rutgers, Lehigh, and DePaul Universities. They gave 48 full-time MBA students $89 each and instructed them to divide the money between themselves and an imaginary recipient however they chose. Some were asked to send an email, while others were to write a handwritten letter explaining how much money they received and how much they would give away. The researchers found that 92 percent of the e-mailers lied about the amount they got, compared to just 64 percent of those who wrote letters [source: eurekalert.org]. This not only shows that lying is part of human nature but also that e-mail may make it easier to be dishonest. The same could likely be true for social networks.

Not everyone is completely satisfied with their life, so a little exaggeration on Facebook to boost your self-esteem isn’t the worst thing you can do. Nor is downplaying your struggles. The reality is that social media users have the freedom to reveal as much or as little as they want and, in many ways, can craft whatever persona they desire. Maybe you list NOVA as one of your favorite shows to seem more intellectual, even though you secretly enjoy reruns of "Everybody Loves Raymond." Or perhaps you claim to adore William Faulkner's novels, when in reality, you prefer reading People magazine.

Facebook seems to lean more towards selective truth-telling rather than outright dishonesty. Unless lying is a real issue for you, what’s the point of claiming to own a thriving software development firm when you don’t? Facebook serves as a valuable platform for networking and building business relationships, so lying would only work against you in the long run.

One clue that may shed light on the honesty question is the introduction of a new Facebook app called the "Honesty Box." This feature allows users to send and receive completely honest, anonymous messages from friends. It’s a space where you have no reason to lie because there’s no way to get caught. The only detail the recipient knows is whether you are male or female.

It seems that Facebook would only introduce an honesty "safe zone" if there were a legitimate reason for it — in other words, if people were more likely to stretch the truth. Ultimately, if you're a liar in your everyday life, you’re probably going to lie on social media to some extent. If you're as honest as Honest Abe, you're likely to be forthright. Or, like most people, you may fall somewhere in between.