What Your Facebook Friends Say About You

What Do Your Facebook Friends Say About You

Facebook gets more crap than every cheating politician, relapsed rock star, and Nickelback song combined. It leads to cheating. It distracts you at work. It killed your dog. The list goes on. But now, researchers at University College London have found something good about Zuckerberg’s social phenomenon: Your Facebook can tell you a lot about yourself—specifically, how well you’ll do at work and with women. When college students were given brain scans, researchers found that the amount of gray matter in regions responsible for processing social signs—such as body language and reading other people’s intentions—gradually increased as the number of Facebook friends increased, but there was no such association with real-life friends.

Researchers believe people with more gray matter are friendlier and more socially in-tune, which means they have the ability to make friends and influence people more easily. “On Facebook, we maintain social connections with people we aren’t very close with—like those we’ve met once at a party,” says Ryota Kanai, Ph.D. and researcher at University College London. “Simple things such as meeting new people or feeling comfortable with strangers may be more relevant for online social network size.”

Translation: The Facebook elite are already socially savvy. If you’re not swimming in Facebook friends, take it as a hint that your people skills could use an upgrade. Here are the seven habits that socially savvy men use to woo women, impress at work, and make more friends (both in person and online).

Dress to Impress

On a job interview or first date, you’re being evaluated before you even open your mouth. Look confident—even if you’re more nervous than a virgin in a brothel—with standout accessories. Try an unconventional tie from David Hart or cufflinks with personality.

Network

Even if you’re not the most social guy at the party, you can land a new job with a little thing called the Internet. Upgrade your LinkedIn profile and have recruiters find you.

Just make sure to use search-friendly terms, as Nicole Williams, connection director at LinkedIn and the author of Earn What You’re Worth told us in Find a New Job—Without Applying. (Think: “Director of Digital Media” instead of “Web Guru.”)

Wear Red

Women are more attracted to men who wear red—most likely because of its association with power, according to a University of Rochester study. Still, subtlety is best. Opt for a simple red button-up on your next date.

Mimic People

“We inherently trust people who are like us,” says Marc Salem, Men’s Health contributor, who has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. If you want to be on your boss’s—or wife’s—good side, emphasize the things you have in common. A study in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology found that women were attracted to guys with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Don’t overdo it, though—no one wants a guy with low-self esteem. Making a joke when you drop something will do the trick.

Call Her

If she gave you her number, call her. And no, dialing her digits a week later doesn’t make you look cool, it makes you look scared.

Be Persuasive

Questions can be persuasive, according to Canadian research. Ask questions that begin with the word “if.” People process the information as if the “if” isn’t there, meaning they accept that information as fact. Example: “If I were to land this promotion…”

Lose weight by surfing the Internet

Lose weight by surfing the Internet

Technology has made life simpler for not just a handful of people but everyone. With a click of a mouse you can do innumerable things. There is inexhaustible information made available to people on the internet. Apart from being a revolution in technology, computers have been able to revolutionise the health of people too.

Kristina, a school student who has just hit her teens says, “I’m glued to the internet to find out how much calories or proteins or carbohydrates ration is good for my age. I lost 2 kgs in a month by restricting myself to a diet which was prescribed for people with my body weight and height on a health portal. It was great because I could also calculate the amount of calories I was consuming every day.”

On raising doubts about the authenticity and credibility about such portals, Praneta quickly adds, “These forums are usually interactive and various dieticians and nutritionists come forth and advice many who are a part of the forum. This automatically eliminates any fear of believing someone unknown located in some other part of the world.”

Like Kristina, there are plenty of people who invest faith in weight management websites. But is it safe to do so? Let’s find out –

There is no second guess to affirm the fact that weight loss programs do reveal many secrets and tips and techniques through which people can lose weight. But as far as the safety, reliability, scientific information and effectiveness of the same is concerned, beliefs and results are bound to vary from person to person.

According to a research study, the internet is fast becoming a place where people spend hours all together to keep weight off them.

The study was done on 1,600 obese participants. 350 out of the total number lost an average 8 kgs during initial six months they surfed a weight management website. In fact, those who logged in at the website – once a month for a period of two-and-a half-year – more frequently than others kept off most weight. The participants actively used the interactive website tool to get feedbacks from dieticians and nutritionists, joined online chatrooms, submitted food diaries and tracked their progress.

Quite interestingly, the nomenclature of the weight management websites is such that it virtually becomes a platform for personal counselling and group meetings.

Kabir, a graphic designer working in an MNC, who lost 10 kgs by keeping a track on his food habits and exercise regime with the help of health centred portals, says “Such weight management websites are a great forum because one can speak the heart out. No one bothers how fat or skinny you are. I started feeling better about myself. It was like a psychological boost.”

Clinical Psychologist, Dr Lyn adds, “Surfing the internet / web to lose weight has two sides to it. On a positive side it gives a platform to people where they can share experiences and stories and find social support. Interaction, guidance and motivation help them to come to terms with their individuality and gives them a sense of being. On the flip side they might feel distressed because they would be aiming to reach a certain and ideal body type. So, this creates a paradoxical situation.”