A recent study showed that young women who base their worth on their appearance often boost their self-esteem by posting more photos on social networking sites like Facebook.
The study from the University of Buffalo, surveyed and monitored 311 subjects -- about half were female with an average age of 23 -- and went in knowing that women generally interacted more than men on social networks.
"The results suggest persistent differences in the behavior of men and women that result from a cultural focus on female image and appearance," said Michael A. Stefanone, a researcher who worked on the study, "Contingencies of Self-Worth and Social-Networking-Site Behavior" along with two others. Not surprisingly, those who based their self-esteem on others were were involved online and those whose self-worth was tied up in their appearance also shared more photos.
While Stefanone expressed disappointment that so many young women base their self-worth on their appearance, he also noted that the media still portrays appearance as more important for women than men.
While some may disagree, it does seem curious that I see so many young women posing in skimpy outfits on their Facebook pages. Perhaps our society just needs to instill self-worth in young women that's based more on one's character and inner strength rather than a smoky eye or a bikini bod.
