[sidebar]The research: Data collected from 1,180 days of Facebook posts from various cities was analyzed by researchers at the University of California, San Diego. Positive posts were shown to lead to more positive posts among friends by 1.75% vs. a 1.29% increase of negative posts caused by other negative posts. Optimistic messaging, it seems, has a greater impact than adverse messaging. What it means: Emotions tend to be a social aspect of our lives, and instead of concealing them we should show them, whether they are positive or negative, says James Fowler, the study’s co-author and a professor of political science. “Like laughter and smiling, emotions expressed online may…enhance social bonds,” he says. The bottom line: Sharing your emotions is a good thing, but it never hurts to think before you post—how do you want it to influence your friends, family, and colleagues? While happy messages appear to have more of an impact, negative ones affect others, too. More From Prevention: How Social Media Can Motivate You To Exercise
