According to a new research reported by Reuters, the constant viewing of happy, smile-filled photos and posts on Facebook is fueling comparison and evaluation that makes us feel bad about ourselves.
Researchers from the Institute of Information Systems at Berlin’s Humboldt University studied 600 people who logged time on the social network. They discovered that one in three felt worse after visiting the site, especially if they viewed vacation photos.
Social interaction was the second most common cause of “Facebook envy” as users compare how many birthday greetings or “likes” and comments to photos and postings to those of their friends.
Imagine the impact of social media on the sometimes-fragile teenage self-image. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors and parents talk with teens about media usage, as highlighted in the Connect with Kids video shortcut on Facebook Depression.
Connect with Kids believes that educators and parents, too, need more than face time when it comes to teaching kids about managing today’s online world.
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