What Your Facebook Status Says About You

How much of yourself do you share on Facebook? Do you share those funny goof-ball videos to your timeline. Or are you the sort of person who checks in when ever you set foot in a new cafe or bar? How much do you share about your relationship status?

It turns out what we write about on Facebook says a lot about our personality, according to a new study by Brunel University published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.Psychologists surveyed 555 Facebook users to examine the connection between what users write about in their status updates and their personality traits.

Using what researchers called the ‘Big Five’ personality traits – extroversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness – as well as self-esteem and narcissism, they were able to highlight the most common Facebook behaviour for each.Whether you post a little or a lot and the type of stuff you post, see what your Facebook traits say about you below.

You post a lot about dining out, meeting friends and funny things that happened to you

What it says about you: you’re an extrovertIf you’re known for checking into restaurants, writing about reunions with friends or a funny thing that just happened in your everyday life, then you’re most likely an extrovert.Those who shared about their social activities, which also included their pets and sporting events, were generally gregarious, talkative and cheerful people.But rather than trying to seek praise or validation through your Facebook updates, you use it as a tool to communicate and connect with others. For you, it’s all about engaging with your friends.

You mostly share interesting articles, current affairs or creative work

What it says about you: you’re open-mindedIs your Facebook wall essentially a list of the most interesting stories you’ve seen on the internet? Then you’re probably a person who is curious, creative and open to new experiences.Rather than sharing personal information, people who are high in openness tend to write updates on their views on politics, current events, research and science, and writing and art more than any other topic.You also use Facebook to find information, rather than socialising.

You log your current romantic relationship

What it says about you: you have low self esteemDo you love to gush about your partner on Facebook by sharing pictures, what you’re doing with them or how you feel about them? If this sounds like you, then it may be that you have a low self-esteem.People who feel low in confidence and self-assurance, more frequently updated their Facebook statuses about their current romantic partner.But rather than being boastful or seeking validation, researchers said that people with low self-esteem use it as a way of laying claim to their relationship when it feels threatened.According to the study, you are more likely to post relationship-relevant information on Facebook on days when you feel insecure.

You frequently share your achievements

What it says about you: you’re a narcissistIf your turn to Facebook to celebrate a particular achievement, whether it’s a project you’re proud of or successfully redecorating your home, then you could be a narcissist.The study found that those who posted about their accomplishments, sought attention and validation on the social network.It also found that narcissism particularly correlated with status updates about health and fitness suggesting that narcissists may broadcast their diet and exercise routines to express the personal importance they place on physical appearance.

You share photos of your children

What it says about you: you’re conscientiousIs your Facebook profile flooded with pictures of your children rather than yourself? And do you only turn to the social network to share updates about your little ones? If you answered yes, you’re most likely conscientious, which in other words means you’re a careful, thorough and vigilant person.The study found that, more than any other topic such as social activities and everyday life, those who demonstrated conscientious qualities wrote most frequently about their children.It suggests that you’re most likely an organised, responsible and hard-working person who uses Facebook to share information and communicate with family and friends.

However, researchers also noted that when conscientious individuals share updates about their children it “may reflect an indirect form of competitive parenting”.

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