在社交软件重度使用的今天，我们惊叹于社交媒体所迸发的巨大能量。
而你有没有注意到头像的内在潜力呢？头像会在很大程度上影响聊天时的第一印象。
Believe it or not, profile pictures can tell a lot about the person. Is he or she funny? Single or married? Plump or slim? Strangers can more or less get a clue of what kind of person you are from your avatar!
这年头，看了一个人的头像，对他的了解也就八九不离十了。你是不是一个幽默的人？单身还是已婚？胖还是瘦？陌生人都能或多或少从你的头像中取得一些线索。
avatar /ˈævətɑː/：头像；神的化身
Frankly speaking, profile picture is to social media what one's appearance is to real life.
坦白来说，一个人的头像在网络社交中的地位，就像是外表在现实生活中的作用一样，很大程度上影响了你给人的印象。
Since your profile picture serve as the handiest source of what kind of person you are to strangers or people unfamiliar, it can leave a strong influence on how others think of you in the long term.
在刚刚添加一个人的微信或者其它社交账号的时候，头像也许是对方能看到的关于你的为数不多甚至唯一的内容，因此也就自然而然成为了对方对你印象的主要信息来源。
handy: 有用的；手边的；便利的
For example, a lonely silhouette makes others feel distant while a warm smile brings sincerity.
一个高冷孤寂的背影也许就会在聊天中增加距离感，而自己笑容满面的照片也许会在不觉间给别人带来亲切感。
Furthermore, profile photo can partially decide how others trust you.
进一步而言，头像还会很大程度上影响对方对你的信任程度。
Reports show that a photo of real person gains trust more easily than an image of a cartoon or something else.
研究表明使用真人照片做头像要比使用虚拟头像更容易取得他人的信任。
Sometimes profile pictures can mirror one's inner feelings. People who adopt cute pets and animation figures as their profile pictures are more likely to feel uneasy when handling daily trivia.
有时，头像能一定程度反射人的内心世界。研究发现，内心有不安感的人更喜欢使用动物和卡通等虚拟头像。
Meanwhile, your profile picture is revealing your age without you noticing it.
与此同时，头像会在不经意间暴露一个人的年龄。
Youngsters tease elder people about their old-fashioned profile photos — either landscape or plants.
年轻人取笑老一辈人的头像过时，不是风景就是植物。
Obvious enough, post 90s people have more complex taste in choosing profile photos — some use portraits of their idols, some use internet memes while others choose a popular dog to show they are single. Some even follow the pace of season to change their profile photos.
显然，90后的头像是五花八门，难以将其归类。有人用偶像的照片；有人用各种奇葩的表情包；也有人用一个狗头做头像，无声地表明自己的情感状况，更有甚者随季节更换头像。
▲ 长辈们常用的头像
▲ 90后五花八门的头像
▲ 随季节更换的头像
Unavoidably, different tastes in profile photos render awkward dispute between children and parents.
在头像选择上的巨大审美差异难以避免地挑起了孩子同父母之间许多啼笑皆非的争吵。
A netizen complained that her mom asked her to change the avatar in which she made a face and stuck out her tongue because Chinese traditional grim reapers do the same facial expression.
一位网友就曾抱怨到她的妈妈勒令她换掉自己的头像——那是一张她自己吐着舌头的自拍。妈妈的原因竟是中国文化中勾人魂魄的白无常也吐着舌头。
↓↓↓父上：属鼠的别用猫做头像。
↓↓↓我用这个当头像，我妈觉得我蠢，不让我用猫当头像，说有邪气 ——@长弓铁白
求猫的心理阴影面积
CD君在此特别奉上妈妈眼中的模范头像：
Profile picture is believed to somehow reflect personality.
关于头像与性格的关系，坊间一度流传很多神奇的说法。
A vote on the profile photos mostly used by playboys went viral on Sina Weibo in January 2018. Many internet users gave positive backing to the result of the vote.
2018年1月，新浪微博网络票选出了九大“渣男”微信常用头像，登上了热搜排行榜。很多人表示，评选结果“很准”。
▲ 微博网络票选出的九大“渣男”最常用微信头像
Those who use selfies as profile pictures are more inclined to express themselves in public. To be more specific, they are eager to build a positive self-image and reveal it to others. Though people of similar temper are very likely to appreciate similar style of profile photo, it is still closely relevant to individual preference.
用自己照片做头像的人，更倾向于公开表达自己。也就是说，他们更希望展现自己想塑造的积极的个人形象。虽然秉性相近的人会欣赏同类型的头像照片，但还是能体现出个体差异。
Is there anyone in your friend list who changes profile photos so frequently on social media that you can't follow its pace? You have an eyeful of it and can't help wondering: why did he/she change his/her avatar again?
你是不是跟不上某个朋友更换头像照片的速度？你不禁感慨：他/她怎么又换头像了？
Frequent change of profile photos, or even a changeable style, is likely to be a sign of instable personality. Of course, changing profile photos frequently in a short term may indicate that your friend feels up and down during that time.
频繁更换头像，甚至风格多变，很可能是一种性格不稳定的表现。当然，短期内经常换头像，也许表明头像主人在某段时间情绪不太稳定。
However, one exception is that some perfectionists change their profile pictures from time to time to approach the so-called "perfect" standard.
不过，频繁换头像可能代表了人格中的完美主义。对于这一类人来说，找到一个让他们完全满意的头像，真的太难了。
Just as appearances do not determine everything, avatars may have a greater impact on the formation of first impressions, but this effect fades as people learn more about each other. So please do not overstate the importance of a photo online.
不过，就像外貌并不能决定一切一样，头像对第一印象的形成或许有较大的影响，但在人与人逐渐熟悉的过程中，这种影响却会逐渐消退，所以不要夸大头像的作用。
In fact, people know from the bottom of their hearts that a profile photo can never alter the true image of a person that is mostly based on character and quality.
其实人们心底都明白——真正的感情，建立在性格和品质等基础上，不会被一个头像所换来，也不会因一个头像而失去。
（来源：中国日报双语新闻编辑部）
