How Facebook makes you sad?

We love Facebook. We do. I love to hangout, share pictures & talk (online chat) to our friends. But have you tried noticing yourself after using Facebook? Do you feel happier after using it every time?

A study conducted by University of Michigan says, you may not. Infact, overtime it may reduce your happiness quotient making you feel lonely, dissatisfied & disgruntled even when not consuming any form of social media.

Why would that be? 

The answer lies in the way we USE Facebook.

Everyone is different & uses social media differently. Users are mainly of two types:

§  Active users: Users who not only consume but also engage & participate in the posts. These users consistently like/comment or post new stuff on the wall. These people are characterised with high self esteem, high confidence & openly discussing their life events within the group.

Majority of the posts revolve around boasting & finding acknowledgement, about life events from social groups like posting pictures from an exotic holiday or a work promotion. Some of them try to engage in a discussion on social cause & some try to push their business agendas.

§  Passive users: These users do not engage in social media per se. They will passively check out the pictures/videos posted, click on the links & Infographics, check out profiles of friends but will rarely like/comment on the same. Also, they will rarely posts new data on the wall.

If you are passive user, chances are you are becoming sad every time you use Facebook. The more you use it, sadder you become.

The reason is, passive users compare their real life events with the reel life pictures of their friends, which may makes them feel that the life they are living is not to the fullest & rich as others.

This develops a feeling of jealousy & envy, which then worsens our offline or real relationship with others leading to a lonely & dissatisfaction self.

How to overcome this loneliness:

In this highly connected world, life without social media is almost impossible to imagine. But with right attitude & actions we can better its impact on us.

• Needless to say- Reduce your time spent on social media
• Increase your face-to-face conversations with your friends. This takes social ties to a different level.
• Don’t post any data which your family (sister/mother etc) would be uncomfortable viewing about you. Remember: Even prospective employers checkout your social media profile.
• Follow a distinction between genuine friends & general acquaintances. This will help you in sharing the data; avoid cyber bulling & jealousy.
• Reply to comments; especially when questions are asked
• Review the people/groups you ‘like’ on regular basis. If you feel uncomfortable or saddened by some specific posts, hide it from the timeline. Overtime Facebook & others may understand that you do not like such posts & will stop showing it in your timeline