Reason behind your Facebook dependence found!

Washington, Dec 23: People who use Facebook to meet new people are most dependent on the social networking site, according to a new study which found the reason why people use the site determines the level of their dependency on it.

However, Facebook dependency is not necessarily a bad thing, said Amber Ferris, an assistant professor of communication at University of Akron's Wayne College.

Ferris, who studies Facebook user trends, said that the more people use Facebook to fulfil their goals, the more dependent on it they become. However, this dependency is not equivalent to an addiction, she said. Rather, the reason why people use Facebook determines the level of dependency they have on the social network.

The study found those who use Facebook to meet new people were the most dependent on Facebook overall. To identify dependency factors, Ferris and Erin Hollenbaugh, an associate professor at Kent State University at Stark in US, studied 301 Facebook users between the ages of 18 and 68 who post on the site at least once a month.

They found that people who perceive Facebook as helpful in gaining a better understanding of themselves go to the site to meet new people and to get attention from others. People who use Facebook to gain a deeper understanding of themselves tend to have agreeable personalities, but lower self-esteem than others.

"They might post that they went to the gym. Maybe they'll share a post expressing a certain political stance or personal challenge they're facing. They rely on feedback from Facebook friends to better understand themselves," Ferris said. Ferris said that some users observe how others cope with problems and situations similar to their own "and get ideas on how to approach others in important and difficult situations."

According to the researchers, other Facebook dependency signs point to users' needs for information or entertainment. In previous studies, the researchers also uncovered personality traits common among specific types of Facebook users. For example, people who use Facebook to establish new relationships tend to be extroverted.

Extroverts are more open to sharing their personal information online, but are not always honest with their disclosures, Ferris said.

The most positive posts online come from those who have high self-esteem, according to Ferris. "Those who post the most and are the most positive in posts do so to stay connected with people they already know and to gain others' attention," Ferris said. "This makes a lot of sense - if you are happy with your life, you are more likely to want to share that happiness with others on social media," she said.

PTI