Some Facebook Users Believe They Won’t Experience Cyberbullying

Facebook users with so-called optimistic bias think they’re less likely than other users to experience cyberbullying, depression and other negative social and psychological effects from using the site, a Dartmouth-Cornell study finds.

The study suggests that optimistic bias, or an intrinsic tendency to imagine future events in a favorable light that enhances positive self-regard — in other words, wishful thinking — leaves those Facebook users vulnerable to the negative realities of social media.

The participants were asked to assess their own and other people’s likelihood of experiencing positive and negative outcomes on Facebook. They also were asked to rate their likelihood of supporting Internet regulations, their personal Facebook involvement and their attitudes toward Facebook use.

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