Who does what on Facebook? Age, sex, and relationship status as predictors of Facebook use

Previous studies have focused on why people use Facebook and on the effects of “Facebooking” on well being. This study focused more on how people use Facebook. An international sample of 1,026 Facebook users (284 males, 735 females; mean age = 30.24) completed an online survey about their Facebook activity. Females, younger people, and those not currently in a committed relationship were the most active Facebook users, and there were many age-, sex-, and relationship-related main effects. Females spent more time on Facebook, had more Facebook friends, and were more likely to use profile pictures for impression management; women and older people engaged in more online family activity. Relationship status had an impact on the Facebook activity of males, but little effect on the activity of females. The results are interpreted within a framework generated by an evolutionary perspective and previous research on the psychology of gossip.

► Females more than males use profile pictures for impression management.
► Relationship status predicts Facebook activity for males, but not for females.
► People spend more time looking at the pages of others about their same age.
► Females spend more time than males looking at the pages of same-sex others.
► Age is negatively related to the frequency of most Facebook activities.