Looking at photographs of yourself on Facebook is good for you, study finds

Facebook is good for you because looking at photographs of yourself is a way of dispelling bad moods and treating mental health issues, according to new research.  

 Dr Alice Good, of the University of Portsmouth, has found that almost 90 per cent of users of the social network access the site to look at their own wall posts and 75 per cent look at their own photos when they are feeling low.

She said that such "self-soothing" use of Facebook is beneficial to the user's mood, especially if they are prone to feeling low.

This contradicts previous research which suggests that looking at Facebook can be bad for your mental health.

The survey of 144 Facebook users found that people often use the social network to reminisce, using old photos and wall posts as a form of comfort.

Looking back at older photos and wall posts was the main activity and the one that made them happiest.