The aim of this research is to study the role gender plays in the construction of Portuguese online dating profiles. How do daters use their self-presentation messages and profile pictures in their quest to find a match? 200 personal ads and 1006 photographs of men and women profiles were analyzed following a qualitative methodology. Findings reveal that, by means of a selective self-presentation, masculine and feminine members try to please and attract potential partners. Men emphasize their rational and practical attributes and their professional and economic status, whereas women value their emotional and affective facets, and their inclination to dream. Women also emphasize their physical attributes more than men. Although it is possible to detect certain clues pointing toward modern gender roles, data suggests that gender stereotypes persist.

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Gender, Online dating, Self-presentation, Portugal