Is Facebook Making Us Sad? (Slate)

Read a very interesting article in Slate recently. The premise: is Facebook making people sad because they believe others are having more fun than they are, on a more regular basis?

A quote from the article:

“[T]he researchers found that their subjects consistently underestimated how dejected others were–and likely wound up feeling more dejected as a result. Jordan got the idea for the inquiry after observing his friends’ reactions to Facebook: He noticed that they seemed to feel particularly crummy about themselves after logging onto the site and scrolling through others’ attractive photos, accomplished bios, and chipper status updates. “They were convinced that everyone else was leading a perfect life,” he told me.”

The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. People aren’t always out enjoying food, partying with friends, or traveling in exotic countries, but it appears that way because that’s all we see on our news feeds.

And it’s very natural to share the best/happiest parts of our lives. Who wants to know about the boring aspects of life, anyway?

So the next time you find yourself at home during the weekend while your friends are “having the time of their lives,” just remember that more likely than not, most people have had their share of time spent at home and time out and about.

As for me, I’m enjoying my Saturday, wasting time on the Internet, trying to get some review in, and listening to good ol’ Metallica. I’m having a blast. So regardless of where you guys are, enjoy the time and have fun!

Glen the dork. And proud of it.

Blogging the night away at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.

2 Comments
  1. February 26, 2012
    • February 26, 2012