If we needed any more reason to believe that social media is doing almost exactly the opposite of what it set out to – making us less instead of more social and more instead of less fragmented – here’s a good one. A new study finds that there’s another element to social media’s growing list of negative effects: A “spiral” of envy that develops when you see your Facebook friends exceling or enjoying life in ways that you aren’t. The good news is you’re not alone in your bitterness. The bad news is that the solution (aside from shutting down your account) isn’t entirely straightforward.

We’ve all felt Facebook-inspired pangs of jealousy when we flip through the pictures of friends lounging on the beach when we’ve just trudged through the snow to the office. These feelings of jealousy or envy have to do with the comparisons that we implicitly make between ourselves and our “friends,” or in many cases, our distant online acquaintances.

The researchers who headed the new study (which has not been published in a peer-review journal, but will be presented at an upcoming conference) asked 600 adults in Germany about their feelings while using social media. About a third of the participants said they experienced mainly negative feelings, like frustration. And, as the researchers determined, the central cause for feelings of frustration was overwhelmingly envy, above others.

Natural. If humans aren't bitter about their surroundings they won't press for improvement.

An article by Forbes. THE rag that prints the fortune list is saying that er.. Facebook elicits bitterness.

What a fucking joke.

are you a comedian?

And You Can Talk

Black Dog wrote:
Perhaps, in some cases, the answer to the question to the OP is "yes".

mikey mikey wrote:

To answer you question in the OP, I am feeling depressed at the moment, so avoiding F/B like the plague, because everyone posts their most awesome shit on there. I only use it for chat these days, but when I was more into it I would only post cool stuff.

You never hear about anyone 'following through' and skidding their pants, because they farted during a stomach bug. How their marriage has become sexless or about how their vagine is like sleeve of wizzard after their gorgeous new baby.

No, it only the good stuff.

oioioi wrote:
What the fuck, handbag chatter amongst douches

No, it only the good stuff.

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
I don't use FB myself but I find it odd that people advertise the positive aspects of their lives in social networking sites and yet, IRL, they moan all the bloody time.

It;'s like Dallas on one channel and East Enders on the other.

Never mind, lesley. If you want to know about how other people are more miserable than you and large vaginas, you can read Black Dog here

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
I don't use FB myself but I find it odd that people advertise the positive aspects of their lives in social networking sites and yet, IRL, they moan all the bloody time.

It;'s like Dallas on one channel and East Enders on the other.

Never mind, lesley. If you want to know about how other people are more miserable than you and large vaginas, you can read Black Dog here

Who the fuck is Ollie?

oioioi wrote:
You ya douchebag

Never mind, lesley. If you want to know about how other people are more miserable than you and large vaginas, you can read Black Dog here

twat