Study reveals why we really use Facebook

YOU might just think you spend hours on Facebook because you are interested in your friends’ lives. But science says it’s for another reason.

The real reason we use Facebook

YOU may think you spend hours lurking on Facebook because you enjoy seeing what your friends are up to, but a new study confirms it is because you’re insecure about your relationships.

The study conducted by researchers at Union College in New York determined that those who are more active on Facebook, posting regular status updates and liking lots of peoples posts and photos do so in the hope of getting some attention.

The survey was conducted with nearly 600 people aged between 18 and 83, with researchers asking them about their relationships and how they used Facebook.

According to the survey, there are two types of Facebook users. The first is those who are extremely extroverted who wanted others to see everything they were doing in their lives. The other is those who are suffering in some degree from attachment anxiety, where they worry about not being loved and fear rejection.

Are you worried about how your friends feel about you?

Those who had higher attachment anxiety were more likely to show “feedback seeking” on Facebook. Meaning those users posted content in the hope of people responding to help ease their concerns about what people think of them.

It was also noted that the more active those types of users are on Facebook, the more attached they become to feedback.

“Compared to more secure people, those higher in attachment anxiety are more feedback sensitive,” Joshua Hart, a researcher involved with the study, said in a statement. “They report feeling much better about themselves when they get a lot of comments, likes and other feedback on their posts and worse about themselves when their Facebook activity generates little attention.”