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Editorial
Want to get to know someone? Check out their Facebook posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
How do you get to know someone?
It used to be at school, at work, at church or maybe the neighborhood pub.
Today you may be better off checking out their Facebook page.
A new study by Brunel University in the United Kingdom may cause you to think twice before posting that status update.
According to the study, you can categorize social media "friends" by their posts.
Is someone self-aggrandizing, vain and exhibitionistic, always boasting about their accomplishments and posting photos of themselves or refering to their diet and exercise routine?
You're probably dealing with a narcissist.
If you post mainly about political beliefs and intellectual topics, mostly to share information ideas and research -- you may be an intellectual.
Talkative, gregarious and cheerful people post about social experiences, post often and have a lot of Facebook friends -- call them extroverts.
People who post positive messages about their relationships may actually be just the opposite, high-anxiety, sensitive types with low self-esteem, are neurotics, according to the study. Researchers think they may be looking for validation and a boost to their self-worth and nurture their insecurities.
On the other hand, agreeable people are cooperative, helpful and interpersonally successful and post more frequent updates about their social activities and significant relationships, according to the study.
Don't expect a lot of posts from conscientious types, who post less frequently and when they do, share about safe topics such as their children, and not to bad-mouth others or seek attention.
The data was collected from 555 Facebook users who completed online surveys measuring the 'Big Five' personality traits -- extroversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness -- as well as self-esteem and narcissism.
Read the original study here: http://bit.ly/1BnfO0b