ITHACA -- If you are one of the more than 500 million people on Facebook, there is a good chance you have good self-esteem. According to a new study just released to CNY Central by Cornell University researchers, Facebook can have a positive effect on the self-esteem of college students.
"This is probably because Facebook allows them to put their best face forward, said Jeffrey Hancock, associate professor of communication at Cornell University.
Hancock says this is most likely due to the fact that Facebook users can choose what they reveal about themselves and filter out anything that might reflect badly on them. And people tend to post positive comments on their friends walls.
"Unlike a mirror, which reminds us of who we really are and may have a negative effect on self-esteem if that image does match with our ideal, Facebook can show a positive version of ourselves," Hancock said. "We're not saying that it's a deceptive version of self, but it's a positive one."
The study involved 63 Cornell students who were left alone in the university's Social Media Lab; they were seated either at computers that showed their Facebook profiles or at computers that were turned off. Some of the off computers had a mirror propped against the screen; others had no mirror.
Those on Facebook were allowed to spend three minutes on the page, exploring only their own profiles and associated tabs. They were then given a questionnaire designed to measure their self-esteem.
The Facebook users gave much more positive feedback about themselves. Those who had edited their Facebook profiles during the exercise had the highest self-esteem.
"For many people, there's an automatic assumption that the Internet is bad. This is one of the first studies to show that there's a psychological benefit of Facebook," Hancock said.
Does Facebook give you positive self-esteem? Do you think Facebook can also have negative effects? Share your thoughts and experiences below.
