Do You Brag in Your Tweets? You're Not Telling the Truth

It's probably a big "duh" but a new study has found that Twitter doesn't reflect actual life experiences (kind of like Facebook).  Or emotions.

Researchers have found no evidence that social media content shared on Twitter is a truthful reflection of how its users feel, according to newswise.com
It's no surprise to anyone who tweets but the study demonstrated that  Twitter users "have developed their own unique cultural behavior, conversations and identities, which shape the ways in which they present their views online," the web site reports, adding that social convention, power relationships and identity influence online conversation just as much as off-line interactions, but in ways that are not yet fully understood.
Research has also shown that Tweeters are not representative of the general population. In just one example, men are much more likely to use Twitter than women.  Those who may tweet many times a day may be over-represented in any sample data set, the experts say, though I know a whole lot of people who would fit this category and would clearly not be over-represented!.
Commenting on the (obvious)findings, researchers say, “Twitter users present only one side of themselves on social media, shielding their true feelings for good reasons, such as professional reputation. There is clearly a large gap between what people post on social media and how they really feel, but how exactly people manage the relationship between their offline and social media identities is still being uncovered.
So why do we do this, try to fluff up our lives, make them look more exciting (and happy) than others'?  I do it, too.  I don't do it as much as some, who post their most recent meals, or nights out, or laundry spinning in the dryer (just kidding, but maybe not).  But I've put my share of photos online, including last week when my son got his learner's permit (oh God).
Is it that we like to brag?  Or is it that we just want to feel good about ourselves when it seems like everyone else is having more fun, being invited to more parties and just generally living a better life? 
Look around, a friend of mine says.  Comparison is the thief of joy.







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