As social creatures we are constantly sending signals about our likes and dislikes. It is a way to signal who we are and the things about which we care.
Facebook is incredibly popular because it mimics what we do in real life. We have a profound need to connect and signal our likes and dislikes.
Although it is natural to send signals about our likes and dislikes, people may not be aware of how much information can actually be gleaned from revealing such preferences.
A recently published study, which analyzed Facebook “Likes” was able to accurately determine a lot of personal information about individuals simply based on the preferences they displayed.
Based on an analysis of “likes” alone, researchers were able to determine the following information about individuals with a high degree of accuracy.
| Trait | Accuracy |
|---|---|
| Single | 67% |
| Parents Still Together at Age 21 | 60% |
| Smoker | 73% |
| Ethnicity | 95% |
| Republican versus Democrat | 85% |
| Gay | 88% |
| Gender | 93% |
| Alcohol User | 70% |
| Drug User | 65% |
If you like this post, what do you think it reveals about yourself?
