Facebook Comparisons Connected to Depressive Symptoms

Social networking sites which can include Facebook have revolutionized the way we stay involved with new and old friends.

Nevertheless, the connection may led to problems that if we spend too many days viewing our friends’ lives and comparing precisely what is happening in our life to their activities and accomplishments.

Here is the finding of University of Houston (UH) researcher Mai-Ly Steers, as she discovered this type of social comparison paired with the quantity of time spent on fb can be linked with depressive symptoms.

“Although social comparison processes have been examined ultimately in traditional contexts, the literature is just starting point to explore social comparisons in online social networking settings,” said Steers, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at UH.

For her research, Steers conducted two studies to research how social comparison to peers using social media might impact users’ psychological health. Both studies provide evidence that Facebook users felt depressed when corellating themselves to others.

“It doesn’t mean Facebook causes depression, all that depressed feelings and lots of time using social media and comparing oneself to others are likely to go hand in hand,” said Steers.

In the initial study, Steers realized that enough time spent on Facebook was connected with depressive symptoms for all genders.

However, the outcome demonstrated that making Facebook social comparisons influenced the association between time taken on Facebook and depressive symptoms for males only.

Similarly, the 2nd study found a great relationship connecting the actual amount of time spent on Facebook and depressive symptoms was mediated by social comparisons on the internet. Unlike the first study, gender did not moderate these associations.

The concept of social comparison is not new. In fact, it has been studied in face-to-face contexts considering that the 1950’s. However, taking part in social comparisons on online social websites sites might cause people feel or even worse.

“One danger may be that Facebook often provides for us details about our friends that we're not normally aware of, giving us more opportunities to socially compare,” Steers said.

“You can’t really control the impulse to match because you never be aware of what your friends are going to post. In addition, the majority of our Facebook friends are likely to post regarding the what you want in life that occur with their lives, while excluding the nasty.

“If we’re comparing ourselves to our friends’ ‘highlight reels,’ this might guide us to believe that their lives are better than they really are and conversely, cause us to be feel worse about our own lives.”

Steers said that people struggling with emotional difficulties might be particularly expose to depressive symptoms due to Facebook social comparison after spending more chance online.

The biased view of friends’ lives will definetly lead to problems among already distressed individuals. As a matter of fact, the distorted view of their friends’ lives may make them feel the only one in their internal struggles, which may compound their feelings of loneliness and isolation.

“This research and previous research indicates the act of socially comparing oneself to others is related to long-term destructive emotions. Any benefit gained from making social comparisons is temporary and engaging in frequent social comparison of basically any kind can be connected to lower well-being,” said Steers.

Steers ptsd statistics hopes the results of these studies can certainly help people recognize that technology advances often possess both intended and unintended consequences. Further, she hopes her research will assist guide future interventions that target the reduction of Facebook use among those in danger of depression.