The question we all dread: Are we really dependent on Facebook? - Hindustan Times
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The question we all dread: Are we really dependent on Facebook?

AFP | By, New Delhi
Dec 26, 2015 03:40 PM IST

How many hours do you give to the social media? And how many of those hours are taken up by Facebook only? The reason why we use Facebook determines our level of dependency on it, reports an American study. Those who used it to meet new people were the most dependent on it.

Why do you use Facebook? To read the news, play games, look at comments on your posts, or make new friends?(Shutterstock)
Why do you use Facebook? To read the news, play games, look at comments on your posts, or make new friends?(Shutterstock)

Why do you use Facebook? To read the news, play games, look at comments on your posts, or make new friends? If the answer to any of these is yes, you could have Facebook dependency, says a new American study.

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Amber Ferris, an assistant professor of communication at The University of Akron, says that the more we use Facebook to achieve our goals, the more dependent on it we become.

The study also revealed that the most positive posts came from people with high self-esteem. (Shutterstock)
The study also revealed that the most positive posts came from people with high self-esteem. (Shutterstock)

To find out the reasons for Facebook dependency, the researchers studied 301 users aged between 18 and 68, who posted on the site at least once a month.

Read: Can’t quit Facebook? Researchers have found the reasons why

The study showed that the people who see Facebook as a way of understanding themselves better go on the site to meet new people and get attention from others. These people have agreeable personalities but lower self-esteem than others. “They rely on feedback from Facebook friends to better understand themselves,” Dr Ferris said.

The researchers also found a link between the need to search for information or entertainment (such as ideas for going out/leisure activities) and developing a heavy dependence on the site.

The study also revealed that the most positive posts came from people with high self-esteem. They do this to stay connected with people they already know and to get attention from others. “This makes a lot of sense. If you are happy with your life, you are more likely to want to share that happiness with others on social media,” Ferris commented.

She also said that people who use Facebook to meet new people tend to be extraverts, who communicate personal information easily on the web but are not always honest in the information they disclose.

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