Here's how people post life events on FB

New York: With social networking sites becoming a part of our daily lives, people are sharing positive life events indirectly and negative life events directly on Facebook, says a study. The positive life events like photos, change of job title are shared indirectly and negative life events are shared directly via detailed status updates or wall posts.

The researchers analysed how Facebook users share information on important life events related to romantic relationships, health, work and school. They found that how a person chooses to share such news depends on whether the event is positive or negative. Jennifer Bevan and co-authors from California-based Chapman University focused on significant life events. They reported that the specific event itself did not determine how an individual would share the news on Facebook, rather whether it was positive or negative.

"The understanding of the delicate dance between negotiating disclosure while maintaining some level of privacy is vital," said Brenda K. Wiederhold from Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California. The article titled "How Are Important Life Events Disclosed on Facebook? Relationships with Likelihood of Sharing and Privacy" was published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.