Facebook is Depressing

Facebook Is Depressing - Some decades ago, a brand-new form of communication has conquered the globe by expanding significantly the method people enjoy news and home entertainment: television. During that time television was a huge action for mankind, even if there were people that had a various point of view. The poet and also playwright TS Eliot, for example, stated: "It is a medium of amusement which permits millions of individuals to listen to the exact same joke at the same time, yet nevertheless, they continue to be alone".

Facebook And Depression

Now you might use the exact same reasoning to social media networks, specifically Facebook, which in 10 years has gotten to 1.3 billion clients, half of which passes approximately 18 mins logged. Facebook connects people all over the world. Nonetheless, the influence of this social network is not as positive as you may believe.

Facebook Is Depressing


An increasing variety of researches recommend that the possibility to be "attached" with other people does not always mean to be better; actually, it could detrimentally influence our state of mind, since many individuals are attached yet still are alone.

In this regard, psychologists of the University of Michigan and College of Louvain, have chosen to grow the partnership in between the use of Facebook as well as a satisfying life. These researchers asked a group of people to state 5 times a day for 2 weeks on their emotional state. So they found that the use of Facebook is associated with an inadequate wellness. They also located that individuals say they really feel worse after going to the social media, not previously.

Friendly World Syndrome: Everyone seems to be more happy and successful than us
Why using Facebook can impact our state of mind making us really feel even worse? These psycho therapists show that of our standard needs is the social call. Interpersonal partnerships are an amazing resource of convenience. But the social network does not provide us the kind of social contact we need to remain healthy.

One possible explanation could be the basic envy. Besides, Facebook enables us to see the accomplishments of individuals with whom we have lost contact. In addition, in a certain feeling, this social media network has become a collection of bluster, a location where individuals collect their successes at the workplace and in their personal life, upload images of their fantastic family members, of the pricey car or the remarkable trip.

In fact, this phenomenon has a name: the "pleasant globe síndrome", which refers to the propensity to think that every one of them have a much better life than us. This phenomenon is the result of a result identified by sociologists in 1970 called the "significant world síndrome", according to which, people that saw a lot of violence on television thought the world was a lot more fierce than it actually was. Something comparable happens to us with Facebook, checking out images as well as updates, we believe that the others are better than us, which minimizes our satisfaction with life and also may also trigger us clinical depression.

Popularity Contest: The friendship paradox
There could be an additional issue underlying the discontentment and despair that generates Facebook, the sensation that everyone is more popular than us. It is known as the "friendship mystery" since, generally, our good friends have a tendency to have even more close friends than us.

This sensation results from a simple mathematical reason: if you're an introvert, there is a likelihood that among your pals there are numerous extroverted individuals, which consequently have numerous friends. It is a prejudice that becomes much more noticeable in socials media due to the fact that with a glimpse at the profile we can know just how popular our friends are.

This exploration can sadden many people making them think that they are not deserving of interest or love from their close friends, and also this can trigger anxiety.

What would happen if you stop using Facebook?
This concern is what some psycho therapists of the Joy Study Institute of Copenhagen asked themselves, as well as to react to it have actually recruited more than 1,000 users of this social network. Half of them remained to make use of the web daily, the other half has actually stopped totally.

It is noteworthy that after just one week, 88% of people that have actually quit making use of the social media reported feeling happier, much less upset, a lot more ecstatic, much less clinically depressed, as well as extra satisfied with their lives. Similarly, it was noted that their stress degree has actually decreased by 55%.

These psycho therapists have additionally located that we tend to focus on what others have. The study revealed that 5 out of 10 individuals covet the wonderful experiences that others post on the social network, 1 out of 3 people covet the noticeable joy of others, and 4 of 10 envy the noticeable success of others.

Of course, isn't Facebook that is decreasing our satisfaction with life and makes us feel bad, but our propensity to face as well as the cognitive biases that show up during the process. Yet the truth stays that the way in which this network is structured significantly helps with such comparisons.

For that reason, the very best service is to focus on our real life, past the electronic profiles, and avoid contrasts that do not bring anything to us. We have to begin to focus on what we really need, as opposed to on what others have.