There are two kinds of people out there: Facebook stalkers and liars.
Did you know that last quarter, Facebook reported having 1.19 billion monthly active users? To put that in perspective, the planet Earth has 7.1 billion people, as of 2013. That means that roughly one-seventh of the entire planet has a Facebook account. So, when it comes to Facebook stalking the cutie in your math class, the odds are ever in your favor; chances are s/he’s online.
Of course, with all this use of social media and mindless posting, there are always the people who abuse the technology. Just because you can post a status, doesn’t mean you should. You know what I’m talking about here. “Shower like a flower, then cuddling and Chinese food with bae, while we which season 3 of Lost,” is better suited for a private journal rather than social media.
While you may silently scoff at people who post statuses like these, there’s actually researchers from Brunel University who went beyond simply scoffing. Researchers Tara C. Marshall, Katharina Lefringhausen, and Nelli Ferenczi studied the behavior behind Facebook posts and looked at how personality comes into play. The researchers found correlations between personality traits and posting behaviors.
Oversharing one’s personal thoughts and feelings (Neuroticism):
Past research showed that those high in feelings of neuroticism are more likely to use social media to connect socially, have a high frequency of use, and are more likely to vent about personal drama through an online platform. This study supported that research. While there was no direct correlation between high neuroticism and posting about any specific topic, there is a connection to posting for validation. “Indeed, neurotic individuals may use Facebook to seek the attention and support that they lack offline,” the study noted.
Using Facebook for Information (Openness):
These are the people that scroll through their news feed and become distracted by social justice videos, New York Times articles, and witty, yet thought-provoking LifeDaily pieces. Those who were high in openness tended to use Facebook to gather and distribute information. This makes sense: if you’re open-minded and interested in learning, you assume others are too. Of course you want to share your thoughts about climate change with them. If only your best friend’s extremely Republican father would stop listening to Fox News and starting heated debates with you online. Unfortunately, people tend to skip over these posts because TL;DR.
Updating and Communication (Extroversion):
Extroverts like to share and they love communicating. Naturally, this group posted the most frequently about social activities, photos, and everyday life. They were most likely to use Facebook for its original purpose; connecting with those within your social circles (which is weird because I thought it’s main purpose was stalking your ex until s/he loves you again).
Writing About Your Kids (Conscientious):
We get it, okay! Your kid is the first human being in the course of history to roll onto his stomach and dribble saliva onto the rug. And while you find it to be the single greatest thing in existence, the rest of us did not birth that bugger for 9 hours so we can’t appreciate it quite like you can. The study suggests that people ranking high in conscientious traits are more likely to share in areas related to their personal and family life since they are probably aware of others’ lives (however, it’s also been suggested they like to engage in competitive parenting).
Posting About A Romantic Partner (Low Self-Esteem):
Interestingly, researchers found that people who praise their partner on social media are low in self-esteem, themselves. The study did not suggest the cause of this, but it is possible that these people are either looking to validate their choice of this partner or they are staking their claim and marking their territory. Apparently, we have evolved to the point where we now mark our territory in cyberspace rather than actual space.
Posting About Achievements (Narcissism):
“So grateful to have been given the opportunity to be executive team leader at the XYZ Corporation. Not to mention Jim and I just completed the paperwork to adopt a puppy. I cant wait for Oscar to join our growing family #Blessed”
You know these people. You laugh at these people. You take pictures of their ridiculous statuses and snapchat them to your best friend so the two of you can chortle while you drink a box of wine (the classiest form of alcohol you can buy with your minimum wage salary). *Sigh*
Anyway, the study showed those who overshare achievements on Facebook also had high levels of narcissism in their personality assessments.
While the results of this study might not be all that shocking, it’s good to know scientists out there are putting our hard-earned tax dollars to use, confirming the things we already knew to be true.
If you’d like to test this theory out yourself, you can take a personality test to determine your strongest trait and then look back on social media to see how you post.
Keep in mind, Facebook gives us the power to post our opinions and thoughts, anywhere, at anytime. Not too long ago, if you wanted a lot of people to hear your thoughts immediately, you’d have to stand outside Penn Station and shout at them. Today we have social media and social media is power. But remember kids; “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
[Featured Image Credit: Telegraph UK]
What Your Facebook Status Says About You is a post from: LifeDaily