Study: Tweeting About Sexism Can Improve A Woman's Well-being
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Ever taken to social media to express your frustrations with the state of the world?
A new study finds using social media to publicly vent about sexism can improve a woman's well-being.
The research, which was done by scientists in Canada and published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, looked at 93 female undergrads who were randomly assigned to three different groups that tweeted over a three-day period.
All of the participants were given information on current issues centered on sexism in universities, the media and politics for them to tweet about.
One group was told to tweet publicly, another privately and a third group did not use Twitter at all.
After the study's participants tweeted, they had to complete questionnaires on their mood and well-being. Their tweets were also analyzed for "linguistic and emotional content," according to Science Daily. The most common combination of emotions? Surprise and discontent.
By the end of the three days, the women who had tweeted their feelings on sexism publicly showed signs of increased well-being, while neither of the other two groups did.
The study suggests "suggesting tweeting about sexism may serve as a collective action that can enhance women's well-being," researchers conclude.
