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According to a study that appeared online in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour, those who have had a bad day tend to spend more time on social media like Facebook with people who are less successful and less attractive.
The study involved 168 college students, who regularly spend time on Facebook. Overall, people who had a bad day full of negative emotions spent significantly more time than others browsing the profiles of people who had been rated as unsuccessful and unattractive.
‘When people are in a negative mood, they start to show more interest in the less attractive, less successful people on their social media sites,’ said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, co-author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University, US. The results support the possibility that people who spend a lot of time on Facebook tend to be more frustrated, angry and lonely when they see a lot of happy updates from friends that make them feel inadequate. ’People have the ability to manage how they use social media,’ said Benjamin Johnson, co-author of the study and an assistant professor at VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
‘Generally, most of us look for the positive on social media sites. But if you are feeling vulnerable, you will look for people on Facebook who are having a bad day, or who aren’t as good at presenting themselves positively, just to make yourself feel better,‘ Johnson added. ‘If you need a self-esteem boost, you are going to look at people worse off than you,’ Knobloch-Westerwick said.
How social media is affecting your relationships and sex life
Social media doesn’t paint the real picture
In my counseling work addressing relationship and sexual issues, I often encounter the impact of social media on one’s insecurities. For some, it seems like everyone but them is enjoying a satisfying sex life and has a blissful, loving relationship without issues. It’s hard to imagine that that couple down the block hasn’t had sex in months because of sexual dysfunction; after all, they seem to look so perfectly happy in their Facebook pictures. Or that beautiful co-worker goes to bed depressed every night crying that she’s single, even though she’s always blogging about her constant flow of hot dates.
Relationships are complicated and people are complicated, but there’s no disclaimer in social media reminding you that you are not seeing the real feelings and the real challenges. Consequently, you see your friends’ lives on your timeline, compare their ‘outsides’ with your ‘insides’ and fear that you’re missing out on all the fun.
Social Media is like starring in your own reality show
Essentially, social media has allowed any person to become the star of their own reality show. To the viewer, it seems real, it looks real, and it sounds real, but it’s still what you’re seeing only when the camera is rolling. And at least when it comes to watching celebrity reality shows, there is some recognition that they are acting or that the show is unofficially scripted to ensure there is appealing drama. Read more about How social media is affecting your relationships and sex life
You may also like to read:
- Is Facebook strengthening or ruining your friendships?
- Is Facebook bad for our mental health and well-being?
- Beware, too much ‘selfie’ sharing can reduce intimacy in relationships
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Had a bad day today? You’re likely to browse profiles of less attractive people on Facebook
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