Five Types of Facebook Users--Which One Are you?

The whiner, the narcissist, the clever one, the secret stalker… What type of facebookers populate your friends list?

If you’ve been using Facebook for some time, you’ve probably noticed that most of your friends have developed a particular usage pattern in posting content to the popular social networking site.

Some of your friends might be sarcastic or cynical all the time, while others might have a tendency to be helplessly optimistic about everything.

A number of people might argue that the different usage styles of facebookers are mostly associated with demographics but age, gender, education level, etc. are not the only factors that affect the usage patterns of facebookers.

In fact, based on our research and findings, personality trumps demographics in determining what kind of facebooker people become. In other words, whether you like it or not, your Facebook comments and posts reveal much about your personality and thought process!

So, what kind of Facebookers populate your “friends” list? See if some of your friends fit the Facebook profiles described below.

The Clever One

His witty comments and funny remarks spark entire Facebook conversations, while his entertaining links provide for great repost material. The clever facebooker is probably our favorite kind of user, bringing color to dull pages and laughter to rainy days.

The Whiner

Probably the most annoying kind of Facebooker, the whiner contributes very little to the Facebook experience. This kind of user utilizes Facebook as an outlet for his misery and bitterness, constantly complaining about the oh-so-horrible things that happen to him in life. Now, there’s nothing wrong with posting a pet peeve here and there—we all need to share some of our frustration every once-in-a-while— but some facebookers just make a profile out of it and that’s a definite turn-off.

The 40-Year-Old Who Acts Like a Teenager

This kind of user is more entertaining than he is annoying. His cryptic posts all stem from his desire to fit in with a community that used to be dominated by teenagers. Of course, Facebook is now populated by users of all ages and backgrounds but that doesn’t stop him from posting SMS-style, acronym-heavy comments and status updates. Sometimes we wonder if he even understands them himself. His posts, however, never fail to entertain and he brings much life to the Facebook world.

The Secret Stalker

This kind of user is difficult to spot. In fact, this facebooker is protected by Facebook’s privacy settings and policy, which blocks people from finding out who has been checking out their profile. But we all know they’re out there! Former girlfriends, insecure husbands, jealous exes, secret admirers… they’re all checking out your profile on a regular basis, enjoying the ability to peek and peep without having to worry about getting caught. If you’re one of them, be happy that you’re not one of the 80 million Chinese using RenRen (the Chinese Facebook equivalent), which let’s users see who’s visited their profile.

The Narcissist

The narcissist is the kind of user who uses Facebook as a vehicle for shameless self-promotion. Often boasting about how awesome his lifestyle is, this user loves to update his profile picture with the latest snapshot of his good-looking self and constantly monitors Facebook for photos in which he might appear. Carefully making sure to “untag” himself from any snapshots that don’t show his best side, this user spends much time perusing his own profile to make sure that his Facebook image is as perfect as his hair.

The Passive One

Shy and quiet, the passive facebooker rarely posts links, submits comments, “likes”, or otherwise contributes to the Facebook community—even though he’s as addicted to the site as the rest of us are. He checks for updates multiple times a day and knows everything that is going on in his friends’ lives, even though he would never admit to it. While this kind of facebooker doesn’t bother anyone, he also contributes little to the community and generally brings little entertainment value to the Facebook universe.

The Ideal Facebooker

So, what is the ideal facebooker like? Obviously, he is different for all of us but there are a number of things Facebook users can do to make sure they don’t get “defriended”.

1. Participate. Facebook just wouldn’t be the same if its users never posted any funny links, cool videos or hot photos. We all like witty comments and interesting posts that kick-start entire wall conversations. Don’t be afraid to contribute—that’s what social networking is all about!
   
2. Involve your friends. Facebook is about the social network that you share with your friends. Submit content that you believe they would enjoy and share information that would be of interest to them. If you just use the platform as a soapbox for your accomplishments, you run the risk of getting “hidden” from your friends’ pages.
   
3. Don’t argue. Public spats look bad for all parties involved and lead to lose-lose situations. Facebook and the Internet being public forums, it’s best to avoid getting into catfights or meaningless disputes. If you have an egg to peel with someone, handle it like a grown-up and don’t do it online. Remember, what is on the web can haunt you for a very, very long time!
   
4. Be your best self. “Be yourself” is popular advice but in the case of some facebookers, may not be good advice at all. While the popular cliché is 100 percent valid for likable people, it’s terrible advice for facebookers who are racist, sexist or just plain bigots. Rather, be your best self and contribute to the community in a good way.

Any Facebook types you’d like to mention? We’d love to hear about them, so feel free to leave a comment!

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