We have a notion that Facebook can be a great place to strengthen relationships between people. But in practice, individuals with low self-esteem behave counterproductively on this social network , bombarding their contacts with negative messages about their lives and becoming less and less friendly to others, according to a new University study from Waterloo (Canada) published in the journal Psychological Science .
Joanne Wood and Amanda Forest, co-authors of the study, found that people with low self-esteem behave differently when expressing their emotions face-to-face or on Facebook, and that they perceive the social network as a safe place to avoid violent or embarrassing social situations, so they communicate more online. However, the reality is that others “get tired” of negative messages, which are emitted more frequently by subjects whose self-esteem is lowered. The worst thing is that “on Facebook we do not see the reactions of others,” reflects Wood, and individuals continue to send messages that harm them socially.
