Message receivers, in turn, tend to idealize the image of the sender, overvaluing minimal, text-based cues. Lastly, the idealized perception and self-presentation intensify the feedback loop. This idealized relationship makes cyberspace hyperpersonal, actually exceeding FTF interactions in intensity. This model accepts the contention that anonymity in CMC deprives individuals of individual identity awareness. Through experimentation, SIDE theorists found a salient shift from an individual identity to a group identity with individuals adhering to group norms, which become the conservative force in society.
Ingroup favoritism increases, while stereotyping and bias between groups prevails.
The SIDE model can be applied to broader social categories such as gender, race and nationality. When anonymity maintains and gender is revealed in CMC, individuals tends to behave in terms of gender norms. SIDE asserts that our actions stem in part from invisible social norms and identity, despite the absence of physicality, while they are nonetheless tempered by individual awareness and identity. The three theories outlined above presume that characteristics of CMC determine the nature of social interaction, creating a homogeneous pattern of actions for all people, given a particular technological setting. This technological determinism does not consider the social, cultural, historical and political context of use.