People who do not portray their true self on Facebook may have a greater stress level and feel less socially connected, a new study has warned. Rachel Grieve and Jarrah Watkinson from University of Tasmania in Australia evaluated the psychosocial outcomes related to presenting one’s true self on Facebook. They assessed Facebook users’ true and online personalities, degree of social connectedness, feelings of psychological well-being, depression, anxiety and stress. Researchers found that people may express their true self more easily on Facebook than in person, and the more one’s “Facebook self” differs from their true self, the greater their stress level and the less socially connected they tend to be. Also Read - Facebook's ad delivery system shows gender bias: Study
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For the study, 146 participants completed a personality assessment once as their true self and once as the self they present on Facebook (Facebook self), as well as measures of social contentedness, subjective well-being, depression, anxiety and stress. Participants who reported feeling more able to express their true self on Facebook had a greater tendency to post personally revealing and emotional content and their motivations for posting on Facebook were more self-orientated, such as seeking attention from others, researchers said.
These findings are consistent with the theory of true self, where individuals express their true self to have that self-validated by those around them, they said. The findings were published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking. ALSO READ: Facebook study says more than 50 percent buyers opt for brands they can message
In another hilarious study conducted by Facebook recently,said that dog lovers make more connections online and on an average have 26 more Facebook friends than cat lovers. Stereotypically, dogs are more social and easy-going, while cats are reserved, independent, and unpredictable. The new study confirms that some of these characteristics get reflected in the people who adore them.
