For Those With Low Self-Esteem, Facebook Makes Things Worse

The Atlantic:

Facebook can be a boon for the socially awkward, a place where they can express themselves openly and connect more easily with others than they do in everyday life. But research from the University of Waterloo suggests that people with low self-esteem may end up making life harder for themselves with their Facebook posts.

This happens because of the high negativity of their posts. Most people don’t take well to negativity. In day to day life, they offer feedback on this with their comments or their body language or by walking away. On Facebook, they rarely respond to negative posts. The negativity still adds to their dislike of the poster, but the poster never hears about it.

The study found that people with low self-esteem do feel that Facebook meets a need, providing a safe place that reduces the discomfort they’d feel if making the same disclosures face to face. But they don’t seem to be aware that their unhappy posts are hurting their social standing.

Read the whole story: The Atlantic