Last week I was guilty of being a shark loving nerd as a basked in the fish guts and glory of Shark Week, well this week I am yet again guilty of over indulging- in Facebook.
What attracts me to the social media of Facebook over Twitter or Myspace? Pictures. I enjoy sharing with you behind the scenes photos from Daybreak, or my latest high heel purchase however a new study made me think twice about why I love it so.
University at Buffalo researchers found that not only do women share more photos on Facebook, but that they generally base their self-worth more strongly on their appearance. As a result, researchers believes that sharing photos on Facebook may be a way for women to try and boost their self-image.
The study measured 311 college aged women and how participants used Facebook, as well as the factors they based their self-esteem upon. While some based it on public contingencies like appearance and the approval of others, the remainder based it more upon private contingences, like family love, or personal virtue.
Women, as well as younger participants, tended to favor public contingencies, as well as to spend more time on Facebook and to share more photos.
