Facebook depression

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This latest study out of Germany is one of several that have connected Facebook with depressed feelings. Researchers aren’t saying people get depressed just by using Facebook but some of our tendencies when we use the site contribute to feelings of sadness and inferiority. The idea of greener pastures isn’t new but with Facebook at our fingertips it’s much more common, you’re constantly bombarded by engagements, marriages, new babies.

According to psychologist, Peter Bieling, Facebook encourages ‘upward social comparison’. that’s when we see other peoples’ lives as better than ours. It makes us feel negative about our own situation and can lead to depression.

A study at the University of Cologne, in Germany is the latest to connect those feelings to Facebook. It highlights envy as the root of the problem, and that’s something most Facebookers can relate to. The problem is, what you see online isn’t the whole picture. When you browse your friend’s profiles on Facebook, you’re seeing their highlight reel, essentially. Life the way they’ve chosen to present it. “They might post a picture of some beautiful flowers that their husband bought. What they’re not saying is my husband bought me those flowers because he came home drunk last night and tripped over the cat.”

When you’re browsing through your friends’ milestones and celebrations, remember: there are less glamourous days that aren’t making it online. If you still can’t kick the comparison habit, Bieling suggests a break from Facebook for the sake of your own happiness.