- Researchers found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site
- Teams says discovery could be used to develop new forms of therapy
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Looking at old photographs of yourself on Facebook can boost your mood - and be as soothing as a walk in the park, a new study found.
Researchers found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site.
And looking back over these snaps and wall posts when upset or depressed reminds us of happier times.
Cheer up, Zuck: Researchers say looking at your own page on Mark Zuckerberg's site can improve your mood - and could be used as therapy for the depressed
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The report also looked at ways of accessing Facebook, with phones being the most popular method.
Eighty percent of the survey had a smart phone and 94 percent of people surveyed always carried their phone with them.
Around 70 per cent prefer to access Facebook using their phone over more conventional methods, such as a PC or laptop.
This suggests people have a desire for immediacy, both in accessing the site as well as for viewing photos.
Almost 90 per cent of users access the site to look at their own wall posts, and three quarters do this when they are 'feeling low'.
Dr Alice Good, from the University of Portsmouth's School of Computing, found this 'self-soothing' use of Facebook is beneficial to our mood.
The more prone somebody is to depression, the more effective this browsing is, the study found.
The findings contradict previous research, which suggested looking at Facebook can be bad for your mental health.
Dr Good said: 'We were very surprised by these findings, which contradict some recent reports.
'The results indicate we could use self-soothing as a form of treatment for low moods.
'Although this was only a small study, we will go on to study larger groups to see if the results remain consistent.'
Dr Good questioned 144 Facebook users and found they often use the site to reminisce, using old photos and wall posts as a form of comfort.
The group had an average age of 34 and had slightly more men than women. Of these, 39 per cent had a history of mental health problems.
A staggering 86 percent of participants visit Facebook more than once a day, with 75 per cent looking at photos and 86 per cent wall posts each time.
These were the most popular activities, and also those that made them happiest.
Psychologist Dr Clare Wilson, also from the University of Portsmouth, said: 'These findings are fascinating.
Researchers say that looking at old pictures of yourself on line can boost your mood. The University of Portsmouth team found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site.
'Facebook is marketed as a means of communicating with others, but this research shows we are more likely to use it to connect with our past selves, perhaps when our present selves need reassuring.
'The pictures we often post are reminders of a positive past event.
'When in the grips of a negative mood, it is too easy to forget how good we often feel, and our positive posts can remind us of this.'
The survey found that people who have experienced mental health issues are particularly comforted by the site.
Furthermore, it concluded that looking at comforting photos - known as reminiscent therapy - could be an effective method of treating mental health.
Scientists already knew that reminiscent therapy helps older people with memory problems.
The use of old photos, items and films can provide a way for people with short-term memory loss to feel comforted by objects that are familiar to them.
This new research shows that it could also an effective treatment for people with depression or anxiety.
Facebook recently redesigned its pictures pages. Now researchers say looking at your own page could boost your mood
The act of self-soothing is an essential tool in helping people to calm down, especially if they have an existing mental health condition, researchers say.
If a patient 'self-soothes' there is less chance of a problem escalating, the study found.
The report also looked at ways of accessing Facebook, with phones being the most popular method.
Eighty percent of the survey had a smart phone and 94 percent of people surveyed always carried their phone with them.
Around 70 per cent prefer to access Facebook using their phone over more conventional methods, such as a PC or laptop.
This suggests people have a desire for immediacy, both in accessing the site as well as for viewing photos.
This study is published in the journal 'Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction'.
I'd shout down my FB for 3 months now coz when I am a bit down I don't want people keep asking me non sense question.
- lyn , berks, United Kingdom, 18/3/2013 17:28
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