By: Katrina Bruno/ Staff Writer
Among all distractions, such as television, relationships and work, Facebook is a major cause of procrastination for students. However, in addition to the negative affects the website has on student academics and sleep cycles, it causes us to feel sad and lonely.
Misery has more company than you think. According to a study conducted at Stanford University by three professors and a doctoral student, many college students find themselves underestimating their own happiness while overstating the happiness of others.
Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, are negatively affecting students’ perceptions of self-worth, and a new study suggests that college students, teens and adults may become depressed through use.
There are nights I will find myself sitting at home, watching a movie and eating dinner alone, opting for a quiet night in rather than a wild night out. It is not until I check Facebook when I start feeling insecure and unhappy. It is difficult to feel confident while I am scrolling down the update feed and asking myself: “Wow, am I the ONLY one sitting at home tonight?” or, “I wonder why he/she didn’t invite me out tonight?” I might spend some time gawking at my friends attractive profile pictures, envious of their polished and successful “About Me” section while stuck in wonderment as to how one individual could possibly have over 2,000 friends.
Many people may not recognize that they are actively comparing the reality of their lives to the “perception” they have of others lives.
Usually, there is an image a person conveys on Facebook that contradicts reality. Social networking is a powerful tool that allows users to create the image they want to give to the world of themselves. In turn, it allows them the opportunity to bullet point their lives, showing only what they want to show, which of course is the good stuff: the glitz, the glamour, the accomplishments.
Photos captioned with “Look at my new car!” or “My boyfriend/girlfriend took me out to a fancy dinner, I am so spoiled!” can make any Internet surfing passerby want to stick their head between there knees and curl into a corner.
If this is reality for you, do not put yourself through the troubles. A lot of people are forgoing Facebook altogether and it is a step I am debating on taking too. Insidefacebook.com, a website that closely follows
Facebook news and developments, confirmed that the United States lost nearly 6 million users, falling from 155.2 million to 149.4 million, in May 2011 alone. Though users’ decide to delete their accounts for a variety of reasons, privacy and information overload are important issues to me.
With that being said, if all of your friends Facebook artfully crafted and in-your-face status updates are making you cringe, and pictures of acquaintances and friends having fun and partying are making you sad, then maybe it is time to take that leap of faith, drop the mouse and step away from the computer.
It is smart to look at your own individual usage and take some introspective time to evaluate how you feel after Facebook usage. If it is making you feel down on yourself, I suggest considering deleting your Facebook.
If you find yourself stalking ex’s pages or staring at girls’ bodies who spend more time in the gym during one day than you do in a year, stop yourself. You do not have to make yourself feel bad, and the road to happiness can start with just one click.
Remember: the grass is not always greener on the other side, although Facebook makes it seem like it is.
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