A new study claims that posting a status update on Facebook can be therapeutic by making users reflect upon their action and help them better understand and improve themselves. The effect apparently goes beyond Facebook to other social networking sites.
Researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Australia explain that posting achievements, from cooking a tasty meal to being successful at work, helps users see how they are doing well in their daily lives, notes Zee News.
Dr. Theresa Sauter of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) at QUT, added, “Social networking sites invite people to constantly share their thoughts and actions with others, confess their wrongdoings and highlight their achievements.”
Sauter claims that the effects are “a by-product of using Facebook regularly,” rather than “a conscious practice.” She added, “While public self-writing was previously limited to the intellectual elite, social media technology now makes it accessible for everyone.”
The study found that people can use social media sites, like Facebook, to work on themselves. The researcher added, “It doesn’t mean they create new personalities on Facebook, but rather that they understand and keep reshaping their own identity through self-writing.”
However, Facebook isn’t always good. A recent study blamed social media for a rising number of teens with eating disorders. According to the study, avenues like Facebook can change a person’s sense of body image.
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