Facebook Users Judge Attractiveness Based on Others’ Comments
Original Article: Facebook Users Judge Attractiveness Based on Others’ Comments [STUDY]
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-users-judge-attractiveness-based-others-comments-study-141006113.html
This article is explains briefly how a person’s attractiveness (not only physically, but socially and professionally) are correlated to the positive comments on someone’s pictures on a socially media site. This article specifically connects attractiveness to comments on a profile picture on Facebook, but it is clear that this will translate to other social networking sites. While this may not seem obvious, especially for professional attractiveness, it is clear that positive comments can make someone look better. On a social level, the more positive attention someone gets on their pictures will show to a stranger or someone who isn’t close friends with the subject that they have friends who think positively of them. Compare this to someone who simply tells the stranger that they are popular, and it is clear that other people’s contribution matter more simply because they are coming from a slightly less subjective viewpoint.
This idea can be related to graph theory from class. Assuming that a black path between the subject and another person shows an positive comment, and a negative comment is shown by a red path between subject and another person, they overall positive sum can be seen. While this may not be the most obvious analogy to draw, it is clear that is important. Seeing an onslaught of “likes” and comments will surely sway someone to a slightly biased feeling even without seeing the picture, as it has already been seen by one’s peers, and deemed good. This is roughly equivalent to seeing a graph with a ton of positive links, but just portrayed in a different manner.
The article also tells that pictures that portray someone playing an instrument or a sport received more positive feedback than just headshots. This can also be related to graph theory, as it no longer only relates to physical looks. It now gives people a reason to provide positive feedback based on a common interest. If a friend sees the subject playing a sport they enjoy, they are more likely to “like” or “comment” on the picture, thus explaining this trend.
Ultimately, an outside observer viewing a picture will be more likely to view someone as attractive or popular due the magnitude of positive feedback. This article is most interesting however because of how it affects the average college student. This research shows that people have a sort of group mentality that is more related to sociology and psychology, but is still related to networks. On a macroscopic layer, something as important as social appearance is directly related to the input of people in one’s social network.
-ISF