Women who frequent Facebook are less happy, claims study

Referred to as Sweden’s largest study on Facebook, this most recent survey of the most popular social site reveals that women spend more time on Facebook compared to men, which accounts to 81 minutes per day by women, as opposed to 64 minutes by men. Yes, it’s possible. But further it goes on to say that low educated and low income groups and women feel less happy and content with their lives after using Facebook. Really? The survey also says that women write more about emotions and relationships with men. The study was led by doctoral student of psychology at the University of Gothenburg, Leif Denti.

Addicted to Facebook?

No doubt, Facebook has become a part of our daily routine. The survey also calls it a habit-forming activity and 85 percent respondents use it as a daily routine. Almost half of the people surveyed admitted that it would be difficult to stay updated about things without Facebook while one quarter said that they would go ill if unable to access Facebook everyday. Majority of people surveyed also revealed that Facebook is the first URL they visit first, on starting the web browser, which could develop into an addiction. 

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Facebook is also used to brag and provoke others, at least that’s what the survey results say. One third of the male respondents said that they provoke others on Facebook, while one quarter of the respondents use Facebook to brag. Facebook has essentially evolved to be a relation management tool these days and the survey clearly indicates that majority of people share positive and major events, while only 38 percent respondents pen down negative thoughts. Most users say that their main reason to write a status update is to amuse others, express thoughts, broadcast information and knowledge and express feelings and very few said it was to gain attention, acknowledgement, vent, provoke others or brag.

Not surprisingly, about 67 percent young users use the social site to kill time. On the other hand, older Facebook users are said to use the social site to know more people. This study is based on data collected from more than 1000 Swedish 18-73 year olds from the period between June to September 2011 through a web-based questionnaire. Click here to read the complete study.