How important are avatars/profile images in the context of social feedback?

1. What does avatar mean in social media?
2. Why do we need avatars?

What does avatar mean in social media?

An avatar is a visual representation of a person for use in digital contexts. It's usually a computer-generated image, such as a bitmoji. On social media, the term “avatar” also refers to your profile picture—the image that represents you on the platform.

Why do we need avatars?

Thus, it seems that digital avatars today can be used in various ways — to represent the person, to be an online friend, to represent a brand and to be an influencer.