From Anonymity to Accountability: How Virtual Identity Disclosure Changes the Quantity and Quality of “Likes”

An integral component of user participation in online communities is giving “likes” to content posted by others. Meanwhile, online users are often allowed to create a virtual identity unrelated to their real-world identity. The objective of this study is to identify the motivations behind users’ giving “likes” when their virtual identity (i.e., username) is hidden or shown. Specifically, we examine the impact of an exogenous policy change in an online community that made usernames publicly visible. Our results show that users “liked” fewer but higher-quality articles after the policy change, consistent with their protective self-presentation motivation. This study emphasizes the significance of virtual identity, arguing that a virtual identity devoid of real-world information should not be equated with anonymity. It also identifies “liking” as a key channel of self-presentation and underscores the importance of protective self-presentation. For platforms, understanding users’ motivations to give “likes” and the effects of virtual identity disclosure can help refine community policies to encourage quality content engagement. For content creators, our findings suggest they can enhance content engagement by aligning their offerings with the self-presentation goals of their audience.