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"Ever been stung by some criticism, then visited Facebook and suddenly felt better about yourself? Turns out we're soothing our bruised egos with the social network all the time, according to a study from the University of Madison-Wisconsin.\nProfessor Catalina Toma, along with fellow Communication specialist Jeffrey Hancock at Cornell University, conducted a couple of experiments on students to see if Facebook helps improve self-worth. In the first, students were told they were going to be tested on their public speaking skills. \nWhile waiting for unseen evaluators to grade their speeches, they were asked to do one of three things: browse their own Facebook profile, browse a stranger's profile, or write a quick essay. Then they were given feedback on their speeches, which was universally and unfairly negative. \nBut the students who had browsed their own Facebook profile for a few minutes said they felt better about the harsh feedback. In other words, seeing themselves on Facebook was like an inoculation against criticism. \n\"Participants who had examined their Facebook profiles for five minutes were more likely to assume responsibility and less likely to blame others when receiving negative feedback,\" Toma and Hancock write.\n\"Spending time on Facebook may fulfill important ego needs. By showcasing a version of self that is attractive, successful, and embedded in a network of meaningful relationships, Facebook enhances users\u2019 perceptions of self-worth.\"\nThe pair did a second experiment, again telling the participating students they were practicing public speaking. This time, they were randomly assigned neutral or negative feedback on the speech first \u2014 then invited to do one of five activities for extra credit while waiting for feedback, one one of which was browsing Facebook. \nResult? The students who'd been criticized \"chose to spend time on Facebook at twice the rate of participants who didn't get negative feedback,\" Toma tells Mashable. \nThe study suggests that Facebook could be used for all kinds of self-affirmation \u2014 such as \"decreasing resistance to antismoking messages among young adults.\" In other words, tell someone to go look at their profile for a few minutes, and they'll be more likely to accept something harsh you have to say to them.\nHow would you apply this in your life? Do you think the study is on to something? Let us know in the comments. \nImage via iStockphoto, sodafish"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/02/07/facebook-helps-ego/>