Self-Esteem Helps Determine what People will Post on Facebook

A recent study shows that your confidence may determine what you put on Facebook.

"The types of actions users take and the kinds of information they are adding to their Facebook walls and profiles are a reflection of their identities," S. Shyam Sundar said via a press release, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory, Penn State. "You are your Facebook, basically, and despite all its socialness, Facebook is a deeply personal medium."

Background information from the study showed that people with lower self-esteem tended to be more concerned about what other people saw on their Facebook and how this was projected as a reflection of themselves.

The researchers note that their findings showed that those with higher levels of self-esteem were more likely to spend time adding information about their family, education and work experience via the social media site than those who held themselves in a lower regard.

Those with lower self-esteem were also more likely to delete unwanted posts than other users, according to study authors.

"The more you get connected to Facebook, the stronger you feel that the items you post -- the pictures, for example -- are part of your identity and the more likely you are going to view these as your virtual possessions," said Sundar, via the release.

The study notes that both high and low self-esteem Facebook users view the social network as an extension of their self-identity, and could thus be willing to pay for various features of social networks.

The study involved 225 students from a South Korean university that filled in their Facebook profiles, and were monitored regarding how they edited material that friends linked or posted to their walls.

They were then asked to answer a series of questions regarding various information from 33 categories of personal data, including details about family, work and relationships. They were also required to report how frequently they used the site.

Findings suggest that various psychological backgrounds may play a part in social networking behaviors.

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The findings regarding the study were reported at NTERACT 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa.