Facebook: More friends, more problems, study of stress levels finds

GlobalPost

It turns out the old rap proverb put down into history by Notorious B.I.G., that "mo money" means "mo problems," also holds true for the world's Facebook users as well.

A new study out of the University of Edinburgh Business School, which surveyed over 300 people, found that Facebook users who connect with a lot of social groups are more likely to experience higher anxiety levels. In other words, more friends, more problems.

Author of the report Ben Marder told the Telegraph: "Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends where you can dance, drink and flirt. But now with your Mum, Dad and boss there the party becomes an anxious event full of potential social landmines. If you have partners, parents, family and employers the more stressful it is as they all have different expectations."

He added, "People will try and manage themselves and regulate how they appear on the site, so they will try and avoid saying things they think, as they are worried how it will appear."

The idea is that it's very stressful trying to create and regulate a vision of yourself on social media that is acceptable to a large and diverse group of people.

It must be what politicians feel like everyday.

The study affirms what psychologists from Edinburgh Napier University said in February last year. They reported the more friends a Facebook user has the more likely they were to be stressed or anxious.

And in other Facebook group study news, University of Canterbury in New Zealand tells us people like sex more than Facebook. 

Just in case you didn't know that already.  

Help keep The World going strong!

The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.

Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.