Study reveals 'almost everybody' lies on their Facebook and Instagram profiles to look good

 

If you browse Facebook for a few minutes and it appears that all people do is go hiking through amazing scenery, relax on holidays or attend luxurious parties. Well, chances are your friends are simply putting on a good show. According to a new survey, over two thirds of us post images to our

profiles to make it look like we're more adventurous than we are. What's more, 75% of Brits admitted that they judge their peers based on what they see on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. The survey was carried out by smartphone maker HTC and covered 4,004 people between 16 and 54 across the UK, Spain, France and Italy. Of the 1,000 Brits that took part, 52% said they posted pictures of items and possessions "purely to make their friends and families jealous."

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“With images being shared in an instant we now demand to know what our friends are wearing, or what celebs are buying, as soon as they have the item in their hand," said behavioural psychology Jo Hemmings. “We’re living in a world of instant communication. Fashion and style used to live and die in magazines; now people are in search of authentic, peer-to-peer recommendations as well, making social media an equal power house to magazines and newspapers." “When it comes to why we feel a desire to share our public displays of possessions, it’s all about impression management," she said. Peter Frølund, UK & Ireland general manager for HTC said: "From snaps of people’s homes to perfectly laid out outfit shots, every images counts and smartphone photography has never been more important."