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Is Facebook Luring You Into Being Depressed?
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Is Facebook Luring You Into Being Depressed?

Social Media Encourages Us to Follow Those We Envy

Chelsea Wald
Nautilus, 2015
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

There’s been a great deal of speculation about whether social media damage people in some nefarious and irrevocable way. Most individuals read about this speculation online, then promptly return to their endless scrolling and clicking. Is this something to worry about? While it’s clear that social media inspire a broad range of emotions, researchers are just beginning to sift through the data. Science writer Chelsea Wald offers a solid synopsis of social media–related research. getAbstract recommends her analysis to anyone who uses social media, be it Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat, or any other social platform.

Take-Aways

  • A 2013 University of Michigan study correlates “Facebook depression” with social media use.
  • Some researchers suggest that social media inspire feelings of envy, which spur people to post relentlessly “perfect” updates, which then trigger envy in others.
  • This “envy spiral” ensures that social media don’t mirror everyday life, where people face real problems.

About the Author

Chelsea Wald is a freelance journalist. She has written for Scientific American, The Atlantic and Nautilus.

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