Spending too much time on Facebook makes you sad
The social media network reported 1.2 billion users earlier this week
The social media network reported 1.2 billion users earlier this week
The social media network reported 1.2 billion users earlier this week
Regular use of social media network Facebook, which reached nearly 2 billion people , can leave people feeling sad or unfulfilled, according to a study .
The data, gathered from 5,000 US adults over a three-year period (2013-2015), analyzed each participant's usage habits - along with their "self-reported physical health, self-reported mental health, self-reported life satisfaction and body mass index."
For every one percent increase in the number of "likes" a person gave, his status updates and link clicks, self-reported happiness levels decreased by five to eight percent.
"Overall, the use of Facebook was negatively associated with well-being," the study said.
The negative effect of Facebook use was equal to or greater than the positive impact of face-to-face, offline interactions.
This isn't the first study to identify a link between social media use and depression.
Last March, scientists found that using multiple social media platforms could be emotionally and mentally harmful to adults. using seven to 11 social media sites were more likely to experience depression and anxiety than those who used zero to two different platforms.
of Americans use social media networks like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram several times a day.