Why Trust is Hard to Find Online in 2025
In 2007, MIT researcher Judith Donath wrote an influential paper asking a simple but profound question: Can we trust each other online? At the time, social media platforms like MySpace were just starting to shape the way we present ourselves and connect with others. Donath saw potential in these networks—not just for sharing memes and status updates, but for something deeper: helping us understand who to trust.
She used a concept called signaling theory to explain how online behavior could function like real-world social cues. Just as a firm handshake or an expensive watch might signal confidence or wealth in person, things like friend lists, profile photos, and comment histories could serve as signals of identity and reliability online.
Nearly two decades later, we live in a world where social media is everywhere. But instead of creating clarity, it often creates chaos. Fake profiles, AI-generated content, political polarization, and performative posting have blurred the line between real connection and manipulation. Donath’s framework still helps us understand what’s happening—but it also shows how far we’ve strayed from the original promise of trustworthy digital communities.
What Is a Signal, and Why Does It Matter?
Let’s break it down. A signal is something we show or do to communicate a hidden quality—something others can't directly see. For example, someone might wear a military uniform to signal bravery and service, or post a photo volunteering to signal compassion.
Online, these signals are even more important, because we can’t meet face-to-face. Instead, we rely on digital signals: bios, posts, photos, friend connections, likes, and shares. These become the building blocks of how others see us.
But there’s a catch: Not all signals are reliable. Anyone can say they’re successful, smart, or generous online. So how do we separate truth from performance?
That’s where cost comes in. In signaling theory, a signal is more trustworthy if it’s costly to fake. If it takes time, effort, or risk to display something—like earning a degree, maintaining a long-term account, or being vouched for by others—it’s harder to fake and more likely to be real. The more “expensive” it is to send a signal, the more credible it becomes.
The Problem: Signals Are Too Easy to Fake
In 2025, it's easier than ever to look like someone you’re not. You can use AI to generate flawless bios, create fake images, even simulate conversations. Want a thousand followers? Buy them. Want to look trustworthy? Just post some photos of charity events (real or fake). With the right tools, anyone can craft an impressive online identity—without actually being impressive.
This flood of easy-to-fake signals has created a crisis of trust. We’re surrounded by content, but we don’t know who or what to believe. And platforms often make the problem worse by rewarding content that’s popular, not content that’s honest.
Fashion, Risk, and the Game of Online Identity
Judith Donath also explored another side of online behavior: how people use social media to show off in ways that seem strange or risky. Posting edgy jokes, constantly updating your profile, or sharing personal secrets might seem like oversharing—but they can actually be signals of status.
Why? Because these actions show you’re confident enough (or attention-hungry enough) to take risks. Just like wearing a bold outfit in public, being “loud” online can signal that you’re in the know, part of a trend, or socially fearless. This behavior mirrors how fashion works—it’s about knowing what’s hot right now and showing that you’re ahead of the curve.
Some even use risk to signal invulnerability—posting things that could get them in trouble as a way of showing they don’t care about consequences. It’s a kind of power move: “I’m untouchable.”
When Social Media and Politics Collide
This dynamic isn’t limited to personal branding—it’s central to politics, too. Consider the rise of the MAGA movement.
Wearing a MAGA hat, posting about election fraud, or confronting school officials on video are all political signals. They say, “I belong to this group” or “I reject mainstream values.” And because some of these actions come with social risk—getting criticized, losing friends—they’re powerful tools for building loyalty and identity.
The same goes for influencers, politicians, and online communities across the spectrum. The more controversial or defiant your content, the more attention you get. And attention, in the social media economy, is currency.
In a sense, politics has become another form of digital fashion—where identity is signaled not just by what you believe, but by how publicly and provocatively you express it.
The New Battle: Meaningful Connection vs. Viral Noise
What does this mean for our digital lives today?
Donath hoped that social media would help us build larger, more meaningful networks—places where weak ties could become trustworthy, and honest signals would help people find their place in society.
But we now face a major challenge: Can platforms actually support real trust, when they’re designed to make money from our attention?
The sad truth is that social media companies earn more when we stay online longer—and the easiest way to do that is to show us outrage, fear, or gossip. Honest, thoughtful communication often takes a backseat to whatever goes viral.
So even if we want to build genuine communities, the system itself may be working against us. Would platforms like Facebook, TikTok, or X (formerly Twitter) ever choose less engagement if it meant better conversations and deeper relationships?
That’s the question we need to ask—not just of the companies running these platforms, but of ourselves. Because in the end, we’re not just users—we’re also signalers, receivers, and creators of our digital world.
Conclusion: What Can We Do?
If we want to fix the way we connect online, we need to rethink the way we signal who we are—and what we value.
Judith Donath’s core insight still holds true: the best signals are hard to fake, and easy to understand. That means designing platforms that prioritize history over hype, context over clicks, and relationships over reach.
And for each of us, it means paying attention not just to what people say online, but why they say it—and what it might be costing them to do so.
In a world flooded with noise, choosing to be real might just be the most powerful signal of all.
Further Reading
Judith Donath – The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online
A deeper dive into how digital platforms shape identity, trust, and community.Danah Boyd – It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens
A thoughtful look at how young people navigate social media, privacy, and identity.Shoshana Zuboff – The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
A groundbreaking critique of how tech companies profit from our personal data and behavior.Michael Spence – Market Signaling: Informational Transfer in Hiring and Related Processes
The economic roots of signaling theory, written by a Nobel Prize-winning economist.Eli Pariser – The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You
A classic book on how personalized algorithms can isolate us from diverse perspectives.