Posting on Facebook could be good for you. WHY.....?

With the rise of Facebook, many psychologists have turned their attention on the effects of using social media on things like happiness and self esteem. The results are mixed: although they’ve found that people are happier with more real-life friends compared with online friends, posting on Facebook can also have positive effects, like increasing your self-esteem. Well, here’s another point for the pro-Facebook camp. In this study, the researchers split the subjects into two groups. One group received no instructions, while the other was asked to post “more status updates than they usually post per week.” Both groups were given short daily surveys about their moods and feelings. The results showed that the students who posted more on Facebook experienced a decrease in feelings of loneliness, which the researchers attribute to feeling more connected with their friends.

Does Posting Facebook Status Updates Increase or Decrease Loneliness? An Online Social Networking Experiment.

“Online social networking is a pervasive but empirically understudied phenomenon. Strong public opinions on its consequences exist but are backed up by little empirical evidence and almost no causally-conclusive, experimental research. The current study tested the psychological effects of posting status updates on Facebook using an experimental design. For one week, participants in the experimental condition were asked to post more than they usually do, whereas participants in the control condition received no instructions. Participants added a lab “Research Profile” as a Facebook friend allowing for the objective documentation of protocol compliance, participants’ status updates, and friends’ responses. Results revealed (1) that the experimentally-induced increase in status updating activity reduced loneliness, (2) that the decrease in loneliness was due to participants feeling more connected to their friends on a daily basis and (3) that the effect of posting on loneliness was independent of direct social feedback (i.e. responses) by friends.”

How to Use Facebook for Good Not Evil...?

1. Add some fun applications to your Facebook profile
There are some really cool ways to stay connected to people and hobbies you love just by adding an application to your page. Look for applications that can help you to keep track of family members. A good one will let you share family pages that you can post messages and family photos on. Some application like Happy Family,

2. Post positive comments on pictures and posts that your friends put up.
Many people use Facebook as a way to display their talents. Some people post regular updates about a particular topic, some people use photos as a way to display their interest in photography, and some people just use their Facebooks to keep their friends and family up to date with pictures and posts. Whatever your friends use their Facebook messages for, it always feels good to get a compliment.

3. Write notes that keep friends and family up to date on trips you are taking or endeavors you are taking on.
Facebook is a great medium to do if you don't have blog or wordpress accounts. If you have a blog and post updates on your blog, you can copy and paste those updates into a Facebook note and tag your friends in it. You can also post the link to your blog into the "share" bar so that Facebook world can go directly to your blog whenever you post something new.

4. Use Facebook to keep in touch with old friends and long-distance friends.
The only way to keep in touch used to be email, and before email, phone calls, and before phone calls -gasp- written letters. Often people will make friends at work or school that move away or go back to their hometown that isn't anywhere near close to you. Facebook is a great way to share pictures, chat, and "socialize" with long-distance and old friends. Of course this isn't as good as personal interaction, but it can be a good substitute until you can see your friend again.

5. Find and support causes through Facebook.
You can use Facebook to find volunteer opportunities in your community, for instance. Or support organizations such as environmental causes, the arts, political and religious---pretty much any cause one could imagine, and more.