Shy and lonely people spend more time on Facebook, says new study

It’s not the person posting back-to-back pictures who’s the big-time Facebook user, instead it’s the quiet one who is logging in longer.

Shy and introvert people spend more time on Facebook but disclose little information with friends and acquaintances, said Pavica Sheldon, assistant professor at The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s communications arts department.

For an introvert, using the website doesn’t always mean posting on it, she said. The research shows that introverts spend more time there than extroverts do. “Shy people and people who are more lonely use Facebook to pass the time,” Sheldon said.

Even though introverts spend more time, the relationship benefits of Facebook tend to accrue to extroverts, narcissists and people who desire great control over how they present themselves, researchers said. The more extroverted a person is, the more status posts he or she is likely to share, they said.

PTI