Are Online Comments More Effective than PhotoShop?
PhotoShop might not be the best way to make a great impression online, says one new study. Researchers at the University of Missouri School of Journalism have found that the number of positive comments left on a user’s profile directly influence how physically attractive they appear to others.
The Social Times reports that doctoral student Seoyeon Hong and associate professor Kevin Wise asked more than 100 undergraduates to rate different Facebook profile pictures of the same person. Hong and Wise discovered that photos accompanied by positive comments from friends were rated as more attractive than those with no comments. While those with negative comments were rated the least attractive.
In other words, the nicer things people had to say, the nicer the picture looked. It’s a great example of the power even our smallest virtual actions possess. Just like in the real world, online positive impressions are like seeds that grow and multiply, spreading from person to person. Negative impressions, on the other hand, are like germs, which infect every aspect of your life and taint the way others perceive you.
All of which serves as a great reminder of why it not only pays to be nice, but why it is important to keep tabs on your online image. When, as Mark Zuckerberg likes to say, “public is the new private,” anyone from longtime friends to potential employers could be watching you, at any time. So, why risk putting anything but your best image forward? Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, the words that accompany it could be surprisingly valuable.
The Social Times reports that doctoral student Seoyeon Hong and associate professor Kevin Wise asked more than 100 undergraduates to rate different Facebook profile pictures of the same person. Hong and Wise discovered that photos accompanied by positive comments from friends were rated as more attractive than those with no comments. While those with negative comments were rated the least attractive.
In other words, the nicer things people had to say, the nicer the picture looked. It’s a great example of the power even our smallest virtual actions possess. Just like in the real world, online positive impressions are like seeds that grow and multiply, spreading from person to person. Negative impressions, on the other hand, are like germs, which infect every aspect of your life and taint the way others perceive you.
All of which serves as a great reminder of why it not only pays to be nice, but why it is important to keep tabs on your online image. When, as Mark Zuckerberg likes to say, “public is the new private,” anyone from longtime friends to potential employers could be watching you, at any time. So, why risk putting anything but your best image forward? Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, the words that accompany it could be surprisingly valuable.
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