All that time spent Facebook stalking may actually be doing more harm than you think. A recent study at Utah Valley University suggests that students who spend a lot of time on Facebook are more likely to perceive other people as having better lives than themselves. Now that’s a self-esteem downer.
The study, titled “‘They Are Happier and Having Better Lives than I Am’: The Impact of Using Facebook on Perceptions of Others’ Lives,” surveyed roughly 425 college students, asking them about their own lives and the lives of friends, acquaintances, and strangers. They were asked about their frequency and time spent on Facebook, and their site activities.
According to the authors Hui-Tzu Grace Chou and Nicholas Edge, “Those who have used Facebook longer agreed more that others were happier, and agreed less that life is fair, and those spending more time on Facebook each week agreed more that others were happier and had better lives. Furthermore, those that included more people whom they did not personally know as their Facebook ‘friends’ agreed more that others had better lives.”
So the more you’re on Facebook, the more likely you are to be bitter and unhappy because you think everyone else is having more fun or leading a better life…especially if you aren’t actually friends with your “friends”! And those who use Facebook less frequently and spend more time with friends in more personal social situations tend to be a lot happier.
In other words, delete those “friends” you aren’t actually friends with (unless they make you feel better about your life…jk!), and stop spending hours Facebook stalking! Better yet, delete your account!
