Why Do You Post Photos on Facebook?

Recently, blogs and news sites have reported on a study from the University of Buffalo that showed that women who have large online social networks and post lots of photos on Facebook base their self worth on appearance. In other words, reporters seem to conclude, the more insecure you are about your appearance, the more likely you are to seek attention online. But as far as I can tell, that’s not really what the study revealed. It showed that women are more likely than men to have large online social networks, and women are also more likely to spend time managing their profiles and sharing photos online.

The author of the study, Michael A. Stefanone, seems to think that women post photos of themselves online because they crave approval: “It is disappointing to me that in the year 2012 so many young women continue to assert their self worth via their physical appearance—in this case, by posting photos of themselves on Facebook as a form of advertisement. Perhaps this reflects the distorted value pegged to women’s looks throughout the popular culture and in reality programming from The Bachelor to Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

I’m not sure I buy his conclusions: I love social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and I share photos pretty frequently. I like keeping up with my friends, and yes, it makes me feel good when they respond positively to my posts and pictures. But ultimately, isn’t that just another way of saying I like it when my friends say nice things about me? Does that make me vain and insecure or just human?

What do you think: Are you seeking positive feedback when you post photos on Facebook or do you just like sharing with your friends?

Source: www.allure.com