According to the survey of 2,000 Britons, just 18 per cent represent themselves accurately, while the huge majority only post content which makes their lives look more interesting to their friends and family.
The results also showed that men are more likely to lie through their social networking profiles than women.
Nearly half (43 per cent) of men admitted that their social media profile is not an accurate representation of their real lives.
Almost one third of participants said their profile pages on Facebook and Twitter are "pretty accurate, just with all the boring bits removed."
Conducted by Custard, a digital marketing agency, the survey also showed that the largest annoyance to British social network users was other people posting attention-seeking statuses.
Around 42 per cent of respondents felt that content like "gushing about babies or partners" and handing out cryptic complaints about other people was the most annoying.
Uploading too many selfies was the second-highest ranking annoyance, voted for by 40 per cent.
Around a quarter of Britons admitted to getting into trouble after posting something on social media, as well as getting into an argument with someone over something they had posted on social media, with politics, religion and sexism being the most popular topics of confrontation.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
