Most Facebook users have low self-esteem: Study
By smilepleeeaz
@smilepleeeaz (784)
India
September 12, 2010 10:29am CST
Facebook is used mostly by narcissists and those with low self-esteem, says a Canadian study.
It also says that-These type of people use Facebook as a self-promotional tool.
This study have targeted all those people who very frequently keeps on updating their status and upload pics which are very carefully construed.
Also the researcher were amazed to find out that those with low self esteem were more apt to use this social networking tool.
Also From the gender perspective, the researcher( Soraya Mehdizadeh of York University) says she found that men displayed more self-promotional content in the ‘about me’ and notes sections, whereas women demonstrated more self-promotion in the main photo section.
Well thats what study says, but What about you guys??
How much do you agree with this study??
Do you think what this study says is right??
6 people like this
30 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
12 Sep 10
Although I have a facebook account I rarely use it anymore. Even the alerts come to my blackberry, all I do is hit delete.
I gave your discussion some thoughts my friend and I find truths to this as I can see from the constant daily alerts how so many of my so called friends update hour after hour about their silly nothings and can't help but wonder what they are thinking. It is as they want attention every second of the day.
I have also noticed that if they post something sad and get no reply they will then re modify the exact same update.
Yes I have to agree.
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@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Hi hardworkinggurl..!!
Yeah even I find some truths to this study as I have noticed some people to whom it all applies to.. Also the study has targeted mostly the youngsters (18 to 25) who are very much active on facebook and very frequently keeps updating their status and other parts of profiles. I feel that they do it all because they want everyone's attention. So I kinda agree with this study.
Well Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Take care :)
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
13 Sep 10
Just wanted to add that members 30 and over are doing just this, as if they had nothing else going on in their lives, as hey tell the entire world what their last night was and or how their day is going.
Be well. ![](/Content/images/emotes/hugs.gif)
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1 person likes this
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Hehe.. that really sounds funny,Yeah I know some people are like this and I dunno why they keep writing such updates, I mean Who cares if they are having a nice day, or whatever.
Lol Just wanna share one of my friend's status,-" I am not feeling well, Just wanna sleep"
And I commented "Yeah But before that I will goto my computer ,open facebook and write about it" LOL . ;)
Such things really sounds funny, and when people over 30 does same, LOL , that must be funny and strange at the same time.
1 person likes this
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@parrot2010 (812)
•
12 Sep 10
lol Is this really true? Most facebook users? This study is probably a rubbish one because I don't actually believe this can be true. There are so many facebook users they can't just make such a statement because it's like saying the human race has low self esteem. Anyway I don't care if they have. I'm a facebook user and although I login only once every couple of weeks just to see how people are doing, I don't think I have low self confidence.
1 person likes this
@shobhan51 (376)
• Malaysia
13 Sep 10
I tend to agree with you here. I was invited to join facebook many times but each time I thought it's just a waste of time communicating with those in cyber space. Finally, one fine day, I decided to give it a try. It was then I realised how much I had missed. I found that I had lost contact with some close people and associates. I also realised that I had a lot of catching up to do. I felt I was living a life of Robinson Crusoe. It was through facebook, that I communicated once more with some near and dear ones. Therefore I wish to differ from the conclusion made by the study.
1 person likes this
@shobhan51 (376)
• Malaysia
13 Sep 10
I wish to add an afterthought. Whoever made the study, should find out for sure that the person has come to a definite conclusion. If that is the case mylot should also be included in the list.
1 person likes this
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Well it says most fb user but certainly not the all. LOL
Yeah I agree there are a large no. of people using fb and this study cant be applied to every user, but I do find some truth in it. As this study mainly took youngsters between the age 18 to 25 and precisely to those who are very much active on it and keeps updating their profile very frequently.
LOL this study cant blame the whole human race, because number of facebook users are just negligible when it comes to population of the world. ;)
Thanks for responding.
take care :)
1 person likes this
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
12 Sep 10
I'm not really sure what to think of that "study". The main reason I use Face Book is to keep up with my family and friends as most of them don't live close by. I also do put up a lot of photos yes, but they are mostly of my kids so that their family and my friends can see how much they are growing. If I'm not checking in with family and friends then I am usually playing games!
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
13 Sep 10
Hi there lovely...I would have to agree with this. Not totally of course but it has been my experience that that is what a lot of people use the site for. For my part, I will not post photos of children because I heard that paedophiles trawl through FB looking for photos of children so they can get off. Yes, I know it's a disgusting thought but these are sickoes don't forget. I hope you make it so that only your family can see the photos. ![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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1 person likes this
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
13 Sep 10
MsTickle ... Of course only people on my friends list can see my photos because even though it's gross to think about some sicko could be doing that.
smilepleeaz ... Your welcome for the response, and I don't fall into that age catagory as I am in my 30's hahaha I'm old! And just about everyone on my friends list is a real friend and of course family member!
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
@Purple Teddy Bear..
Well this study is not about all the facebook users, it just says the most of facebook users. And it has been done by taking the users from age group 18-25 years.
I know many people use facebook for being in touch with their family and friends whom they know in real life, So I guess it cant be applied to them.
and I guess It kinda applies to those who are searching for friends from internet only and are kinda addicted to facebook.
Anyways Thanks for responding.
Take care :)
1 person likes this
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@Shelbi1118 (21)
• United States
13 Sep 10
I have to agree! There are a few ppl on my so called "friends list " that fit the description to a T. Actually, I have thought that of these ppl myself. I have a F B account, but rarely ever use it. It was fun when I first opened it and met up with old friends etc, but that got old quick. But, there are these ppl that seem to not be able to live without their daily, or, should I say, hourly fb fix. I think those ppl would benefit greatly from getting a life, or maybe even better yet, a job
1 person likes this
@sk66rc (4250)
• United States
12 Sep 10
In most of the cases, "studies" are means statistics. It won't hold true for 100% of the people involved 100% of the times. I'm assuming this study, while applies to "majority" of the case, but not all the people who use facebook. Remember, they only need 51% of the group to be considered "majority". While 51% is large amount of people, 49% is still a lot of people & not off by far. In comparison to whole, it doesn't take much to be considered one of "majority" or "minority". Just to put things in perspective, out of 100 people, 49 of them are your average users who just like to keep in touch with friends & family while 51 of them are like what the study says. Difference between the 2 groups are determined only be 2 people. In my opinion, 2 out of 100 really isn't significant enough people to say "most people are narcissists". But strictly speaking in terms of statistics, that's majority of people because "narcissists" make up 51% of the group. I don't know, it just seems too impersonal to me.
1 person likes this
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Yeah I agree that studies are more of statistics and assumptions and can never be 100% true. But still they are used everywhere world wide, that means they do give us some justified reviews.
So this study cant be applied to every user of facebook but for some I guess it can hold good. I know it takes just 2 people out of 100 to turn a majority into minority, but this doesn't mean that the rest 49 people people are not counted.
Thanks for responding.
Take care :)
1 person likes this
@Thatguy215 (11)
• United States
12 Sep 10
Although this may be true, it has some false attributes to it as well. Seeing as a classmate of mines uses Facebook quite a lot, he is actually active in class and the sports activities.
1 person likes this
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Well, no study or survey is 100% true, its just about some assumption. So may be your class fellow is active both online and offline but I do think there are some truths to this study as I know some guys to whom it applies.
Anyways , thanks for your response. Take care :)
1 person likes this
@Angelgirl16 (2171)
• United States
12 Sep 10
Hi Smilepleeeaz,
Well, I am happy to say that I am not on Facebook, but I do know plenty of people who are. These people do not strike me as having low self-esteem at all. Most of the people are well educated and self-assure individuals.
I am a sociology major student. So, I would have to ask about the study and how was the study conducted and who were the participates? Was the study done face-to-face, or the telephone, or mailed questionaire? There are many studies that are worthless because of the way they were perform. So, some studies need to be taken with a grain of salt.
I do not agree with this finding, that most people who uses Facebook are narcissists, or self-absorbed.
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@Angelgirl16 (2171)
• United States
13 Sep 10
Hi,
Thanks for the compliment. I have never had a low self-esteem, thanks to my parents insteeling in me that I can do anything I set my mine to. I know I cannot do all things, but I am sure willing to give them a try. I will read the study, which like you said, can't be a 100%.
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Hi Angelgirl,
Oh yeah, you are safe from any blames of having low self esteem ..LOL
Anyways this is the link to article that describes everything about this study.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/internet/article625076.ece
Well a study cant ever be 100% and certainly may vary for different people, but these are just assumptions and statistics , which may be applicable to some others.
Anyways thanks for responding. Take care :)
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@p3ks626 (6538)
• Philippines
12 Sep 10
I like that! I guess this is going to prove that this person whom I really dislike has a very low self-esteem cause she promotes herself not just in facebook but in twitter, friendster, youtube and other sites. Good thing its not only me who noticed it also the experts.
1 person likes this
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Well I too feel there gotta be some truth in the studies and it may apply to some people. Good thing its not only study, but you too think so.
Thanks for responding :)
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1 person likes this
@bloemart (222)
• Philippines
12 Sep 10
Yes, somehow, but I don't think it is really like that. I do the same thing but myself esteem is really high.
However, it has sense that a person who is doing these things are are really have a low self esteem. I know other people keep on doing these things, uploading pictures, they want to have friends but on the other hand real friends, I mean they don't have friends in outside the computer. so I think it is possible.
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Yeah, I agree with you that it kinda makes sense for those who are really very much active on facebook , keeps updating their status every 5 minutes or so and keeps uploading pics etc and also they have virtual friends than the real ones and this all points to just one thing that perhaps are kinda insecure in themselves.
But it doesn't mean all fb users are like this, it just applies to some of them and may not apply to some.
@cajimenez (452)
• Philippines
12 Sep 10
I don't think this study is right. There are millions of users of Facebook. It's hard to conclude such a research.
@smilepleeeaz (784)
• India
13 Sep 10
Well no studies and surveys are 100%. These are just assumptions and can be false as well.
Thanks for responding. Take care :)
@figurativeme (1089)
• Philippines
13 Sep 10
Hi! This study is interesting. I have a facebook but I don't use it and visit it occasionally just to see recent posts. I don't post myself, or seldom do. I see a lot of posts between my relatives and friends but, personally, I feel uncomfortable with putting private thoughts public, even if they are for laughs. But I leave it be.
Good day, smilepleeaz. Am smiling! lol
@deecee2010 (29)
• Netherlands
13 Sep 10
And people who go to bars have low self esteem and are looking for love.
And people who join clubs to meet others with similar interests have low self esteem.
And people who go to the gym have low self esteem.
It doesn't matter what it is, what matters is the INDIVIDUAL'S reason for going there or doing the activity. I am sure that there are many folks on Facebook with low self esteem, who are lonely and need attention. But I don't believe that there are more there than any other place that brings people together. People do activities for a variety of reasons, but I'll bet that if I tried hard enough, I can find enough people to populate any statistic I want to bend it my way. What's the saying? You have lies, damn lies, and statistics.
I would have to take this one with a grain of salt (or three!).
@Abbianza_1 (18)
• Philippines
13 Sep 10
No offense but just because you have a Facebook account I don't think it means you know everything about the people who are on Facebook.
To each his own you know? different people have different reasons and purposes for being on Facebook.
@JudgeIronFist (2472)
• Singapore
13 Sep 10
"Heaved a sigh of relief". Lucky I'm not that interested in Facebook although I have an account there. As for the 'about me' profile thingy, at most I only put what I like, which is aviation, cars and badminton. LOL! Well, but the study didn't state in detail, when using Facebook to promote oneself, how does it make you a low self-esteemed person?
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
13 Sep 10
Smilepleeeaz-
The first problem I have is that her study was simply part of her undergraduate research, which means she had not yet had time to work in her field, and learn proper research techniques. My second problem is that her sample size was too small, and not diverse. She selected only 100 Facebook users between the ages of 18-25 and there is no statement as to how many were men and how many were women. It did not state what her method was for selection so we cannot assume she used a random selection. They study was flawed from the creation as it did not avoid any of the research fallacies or problems that one faces when creating a qualitative research project, as this type of research would be very difficult to do as she did in a quantitative sense.
One of the problems with this type of study is that are simply too many variables, one of them being that the observer changes the nature of the observed. There was nothing in place to make sure that her subjects did not simply do things to provide her with the information she wanted to produce her desired outcome. And there is no way she could have ethically done the research without first telling her subjects. You cannot simply go and study subjects, and then write about them in a study. That would be illegal and something she could potentially get in a lot of trouble for if they find out she did not have the consent of her subjects.
Overall, I think the study is flawed, and does not truly tell us anything about the nature of those who use Facebook. There was also no time frame so we have no idea if she observed people for 1 day or 3 months.
Namaste-Anora
@nrn2003 (661)
• United States
13 Sep 10
I think it is a bunch of garbage! I do not see facebook as a place for people with low self esteem. I see it as a place where old friends can reconnect with one another again and let them what is going on with their lives. I think that those dang people need more to do if they are trying to research facebook. Why not research something worth having a study on.
@inedible (768)
• Singapore
13 Sep 10
"This study have targeted all those people who very frequently keeps on updating their status and upload pics which are very carefully construed."
So the study specifically targeted only narcissists and self-promoters and then concluded that Facebook is full of narcissists and self-promoters? Brilliant!
Seriously, if someone constantly updates their profile/status/whatever, that suggests that they love talking about themselves. If the study targets this group of people while excluding other users, of course they'd find a higher proportion of them. __
@LovingLife139 (1504)
• United States
13 Sep 10
I believe this study is on the right track full-heartedly. I actually was a Facebook user for a few years before I completely deleted my account a few days ago.
Facebook IS a self-promotion tool. When it came out, I was just starting college and it was made FOR college students wanting to connect with possible employers and others in their fields. As the years went on, people began using it as a social tool, and it began to revolve around that aspect rather than for the career and educational fields. Facebook was developed initially to allow young adults to promote themselves into the work force by gathering business contacts and keeping in contact with ex-professors, etc.
Once Facebook became an online social gathering, is it not hard to use your profile as a means to put your opinions out there without someone being able to overcome them? If you post something about an opinion, that itself is being promoted to not only your friends and family, but your friend's friends through their pages. I don't know how many women I had to delete as friends because their social photos were ridiculous. It was nearly the same for men, actually, although they tended to use the info section as well as their walls to put out blunt opinions that no one could override...sure, you can comment on it, but even then you are bombarded by the person and people with which they are acquainted. Plus, comments can be deleted.
I believe some Facebook users that have this problem do have low self esteem, although I know I have been guilty of putting things I wouldn't normally put on my wall just to "get back" at the people who have hurt me in the past and would see that, etc. I have very high self esteem as a general rule but was seeking to let some people know just how far I've come since years ago when I was a loner. It was pride getting the best of me, and now that I'm off Facebook, I couldn't be happier. I feel no need to post things that everyone will like or agree with...I feel no need to get anxious in the safety of my own home because of what people comment about on Facebook. It reminds me of the feeling of getting rid of a cell phone...freedom! Just like I don't have to worry about someone calling me when I'm trying to relax and have fun, I don't have to please others with what I say in my own house. ![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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@Metatronik (6199)
• Pasay, Philippines
13 Sep 10
I don't agree with that. Aside from that it was designated to reconnect with your long lost friends and other people you know. It depends on other people because I have a friend who keeps on updating his status about himself and the annoying part there is that he is telling everyone that he looks young even the fact that he is already old. If he does not want to get old then better for him to live the world.
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