Social Media's Worst

New study proves Texans aren't blowhards, but Californians are: Social media's worst braggers exposed

As much as Texans are known for taking pride in their state and in themselves, it turns out that we aren't bragging as much as you might expect.

HeyLets — a mobile app which allows people to share experiences without the pressure that can come with certain social media sites — conducted a survey of 2,500 social media-using Americans to "rate the number of posts they typically make on potentially self-promotional topics," which can include trips to special locations, attendance at memorable events and work-related good news.

"On social networks like Facebook and Instagram, many so-called 'status updates' are really 'brag-ommendatons' — opportunities to enhance your status with friends and followers by showcasing your apparently amazing life," the site notes.

The state with the highest percentage of 'boast posts' is California with 77 percent of its residents engaging in self-promotion.

The study, which named both the 20 most braggadocious and humble states, found that Texas ranked a mere 20th out of 50 in state bragging. HeyLets found that an average of 51 percent of Texans frequently make self-promotional social posts.

The state with the highest percentage of 'boast posts' is California with 77 percent of its residents engaging in self-promotion. Coming in at No. 1 on the most humble states list is Utah with only 22 percent of Utahans making self-promotional posts.

As part of the survey, HeyLets also asked respondents to rank the Top 5 most popular topics they post on social media. Coming in at No. 1 was "going on a special trip" with 62 percent of those surveyed saying they 'frequently,' 'almost always' or 'always' engage in this kind of post. Other popular topics included "attending a memorable event" (59 percent), "meeting a noteworthy person" (54 percent), "something nice that your significant other did" (53 percent) and "getting work related good news" (52 percent).

See the complete lists below to see how each state fared in terms of self-promotion:

Top 20 Most Braggadocioius States

#1: California (77% frequently engage in self-promotion)
#2: Washington (76%)
#3: Nevada: (72%)
#4: Maryland (70%)
#5: New Hampshire (69%)
#6: Illinois (67%)
#7: Virginia (66%)
#8: Oklahoma (64%)
#9: New Jersey (60%)
#10: New York (58%)
#11: South Dakota (57%)
#12: Delaware (57%)
#13: Colorado (55%)
#14: Alabama (55%)
#15: Kentucky (54%)
#16: Indiana (53%)
#17: Georgia (52%)
#18: Minnesota (52%)
#19: Florida (51%)
#20: Texas (51%)

Top 20 Most Humble States

#1: Utah (22% frequently engage in self-promotion)
#2: Oregon (26%)
#3: South Carolina (33%)
#4: Kansas (34%)
#5: Arizona (34%)
#6: Arkansas (37%)
#7: Pennsylvania (39%)
#8: Massachusetts (40%)
#9: Rhode Island (40%)
#10: Wisconsin (41%)
#11: Connecticut (43%)
#12: Ohio (44%)
#13: North Carolina (45%)
#14: Maine (46%)
#15: Michigan (47%)
#16: Tennessee (47%)
#17: Missouri (48%)
#18: Louisiana (48%)
#19: Mississippi (49%)
#20: Iowa (49%)

unspecified

advancing education

Houston foundation grants $27 million to boost chemistry research

Happy students doing science experiment in laboratory

Getty Images

undefined

Houston-based The Welch Foundation has doled out $27 million in its latest round of grants for chemical research, equipment and postdoctoral fellowships.

According to a June announcement, $25.5 million was allocated for the foundation's longstanding research grants, which provide $100,000 per year in funding for three years to full-time, regular tenure or tenure-track faculty members in Texas. The foundation made 85 grants to faculty at 16 Texas institutions for 2025, including:

Michael I. Jacobs, assistant professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department at Texas State University, who is investigating the structure and thermodynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins, which could "reveal clues about how life began," according to the foundation.
Kendra K. Frederick, assistant professor in the biophysics department at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who is studying a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease.
Jennifer S. Brodbelt, professor in chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, who is testing a theory called full replica symmetry breaking (fullRSB) on glass-like materials, which has implications for complex systems in physics, chemistry and biology.

Additional funding will be allocated to the Welch Postdoctoral Fellows of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. The program provides three-year fellowships to recent PhD graduates to support clinical research careers in Texas. Two fellows from Rice University and Baylor University will receive $100,000 annually for three years.

The Welch Foundation also issued $975,000 through its equipment grant program to 13 institutions to help them develop "richer laboratory experience(s)." The universities matched funds of $352,346.

Since 1954, the Welch Foundation has contributed over $1.1 billion for Texas-nurtured advancements in chemistry through research grants, endowed chairs and other chemistry-related ventures. Last year, the foundation granted more than $40.5 million in academic research grants, equipment grants and fellowships.

“Through funding basic chemical research, we are actively investing in the future of humankind,” Adam Kuspa, president of The Welch Foundation, said the news release. “We are proud to support so many talented researchers across Texas and continue to be inspired by the important work they complete every day.”

science