Why Facebook is Depressing

Why Facebook Is Depressing - Some years ago, a new kind of interaction has conquered the globe by expanding significantly the means people enjoy news and also home entertainment: television. During that time tv was a huge step for humanity, even if there were individuals who had a different opinion. The poet as well as playwright TS Eliot, as an example, mentioned: "It is a medium of entertainment which permits countless individuals to listen to the very same joke at the same time, however however, they remain to be alone".

Currently you could apply the same logic to social networks, specifically Facebook, which in ten years has actually reached 1.3 billion customers, half of which passes an average of 18 mins logged. Facebook links individuals all over the world. However, the influence of this social network is not as positive as you could think.

Why Facebook Is Depressing

A boosting number of researches suggest that the possibility to be "attached" with other people does not always imply to be happier; as a matter of fact, it could adversely influence our mood, due to the fact that many individuals are linked but still are alone.

Hereof, psychologists of the College of Michigan as well as College of Louvain, have actually chosen to grow the relationship in between the use of Facebook as well as a gratifying life. These scientists asked a team of people to state five times a day for 2 weeks on their mood. So they located that the use of Facebook is associated with a bad health. They also located that individuals say they really feel worse after seeing the social network, not in the past.

Friendly World Syndrome: Everyone seems to be more happy and successful than us
Why the use of Facebook can affect our state of mind making us feel worse? These psycho therapists indicate that of our standard needs is the social get in touch with. Social relationships are an incredible resource of comfort. Yet the social media network does not provide us the sort of social get in touch with we need to stay healthy and balanced.

One possible description could be the basic jealousy. After all, Facebook enables us to see the success of individuals with whom we have shed call. Additionally, in a particular feeling, this social media has become a collection of bluster, a place where individuals accumulate their successes at work as well as in their individual life, upload photos of their wonderful family members, of the pricey cars and truck or the extraordinary trip.

Actually, this sensation has a name: the "friendly world síndrome", which describes the propensity to assume that all of them have a much better life than us. This sensation is the outcome of a result determined by sociologists in 1970 called the "substantial globe síndrome", according to which, people that saw a lot of violence on tv believed the world was a lot more violent than it actually was. Something comparable happens to us with Facebook, looking at photos as well as updates, we believe that the others are better than us, which lowers our satisfaction with life as well as may even trigger us anxiety.

Popularity Contest: The friendship paradox
There could be another problem underlying the frustration and unhappiness that generates Facebook, the feeling that everyone is extra prominent than us. It is known as the "relationship paradox" due to the fact that, generally, our close friends have a tendency to have more pals than us.

This sensation is due to a straightforward mathematical reason: if you're an autist, there is a great chance that among your friends there are numerous extroverted individuals, which consequently have lots of good friends. It is a bias that ends up being much more obvious in socials media because with a quick look at the account we can understand just how preferred our close friends are.

This discovery might sadden many people making them think that they are not deserving of focus or affection from their pals, and this can cause anxiety.

What would happen if you stop using Facebook?
This question is what some psychologists of the Joy Study Institute of Copenhagen asked themselves, as well as to reply to it have hired more than 1,000 users of this social network. Half of them continued to use the net daily, the other half has actually quit entirely.

It is significant that after just one week, 88% of people who have actually quit using the social network reported really feeling happier, much less upset, a lot more ecstatic, less depressed, as well as extra satisfied with their lives. Likewise, it was kept in mind that their stress level has decreased by 55%.

These psychologists have actually additionally discovered that we have a tendency to concentrate on what others have. The research study revealed that 5 out of 10 people covet the wonderful experiences that others upload on the social media network, 1 out of 3 individuals covet the obvious happiness of others, as well as 4 of 10 envy the evident success of others.

Obviously, isn't Facebook that is minimizing our contentment with life and makes us really feel bad, but our tendency to challenge as well as the cognitive biases that appear throughout the procedure. However the fact continues to be that the way in which this network is structured significantly promotes such comparisons.

Therefore, the best remedy is to focus on our real life, beyond the electronic accounts, and also avoid comparisons that do not bring anything to us. We have to start to focus on what we really need, rather than on what others have.

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