Odunayo Bolarinwa
You sure have no doubt heard anecdotal evidence of Facebook users feeling better after they have actually quit the social network platform. But to be frank, how often does that help, really? A very fair amount, according to researchers.
A study (PDF) from New York University and Stanford showed that Facebook users were always more happier, ever satisfied with life and slightly likely to feel anxious, being depressed or lonely. They also used other social network platforms less, and would use Facebook less when they came back.
Those people who were off Facebook always found a number of things to do in place of Facebook, including meeting their friends and family or watching TV programs. They never spend as much time consuming news, though.
With all these mentioned, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should rush to delete your Facebook account. As Tech Crunch have observed, there are more attached to this factors to consider. This are just self-reported data, so there is probably a chance this doesn’t represent the subjects’ complete emotional landscape at all. Right now, it is still unclear what would happen if the break were longer. Also, the same researchers conducted this particular study ahead of the 2019 national presidential election, right when political tensions is very high. It might be more enjoyable to leave Facebook simply because it helped a lot of users to avoid heated debates and rhetoric.
With all that said, the findings also said it and claims that taking a break from Facebook might help you. While it’s still not very clear how social networks affect human mental health, there are many indications of potential issues. Between those with the fierce political discussions and some more valuable picked moments, you are sure not really getting a picture of other person’s lives — that might just skew your feelings in unexpected ways.
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