Does Facebook reveal how materialistic YOU are? Researchers find some people 'collect' friends and constantly compare themselves to others

For people who are materialistic, Facebook acts much like a tool to help them achieve their goals – but, this often means comparing themselves with others, and treating friends as 'digital objects.'

This is according to a new study, which surveyed hundreds of Facebook users on their social media activity, tendency toward materialism, and the objectification and instrumentalization of Facebook friends.

The researchers found that materialistic people use Facebook far more frequently than others, and with greater intensity, as a way to achieve goals and feel good about themselves.

'Materialistic people use Facebook more frequently because they tend to objectify their Facebook friends – they acquire Facebook friends to increase their possession,' said lead author Phillip Ozimek, from the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany.
'Facebook provides the perfect platform for social comparisons, with millions of profiles and information about people.
'And it's free – materialists love tools that do not cost money!'
In the study, the team conducted an online survey of 242 Facebook users, asking participants to rate their agreements with statements such as 'I'm posting photographs' and 'I often compare how I am doing socially,' to 'To what extent do you think Facebook friends are useful in order to attain your goals?'
They then conducted another survey with a different sample, this time of 289 Facebook users.
The second group contained fewer students than the first, and more males.
Responses from both samples suggested materialists were more likely to compare their own lives with others'.