Being jealous of Facebook friends 'leads to depression

Surprised? Being jealous of facebook friends leads to depression, researchers claim.Most people log on to Facebook to see what friends are doing, only to feel envy at someone's great new job, another person's happy relationship or our former classmate's big new house.Though it may seem harmless,researchers say it could be damaging to our health.

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that the social network can lead to depression, especially amongst those who use Facebook to size other people's lives up against their own.Though it has it's advantages like chatting up old friends and staying intouch, if used to size up ones accomplishments, it can cause damage ..Professor Margaret Duffy,said..

'If it is used as a way to size up one's own accomplishments against others, it can have a negative effect,' 'If Facebook is used to see how well an acquaintance is doing financially or how happy an old friend is in his relationship - things that cause envy among users - use of the site can lead to feelings of depression.It is important for Facebook users to be aware of these risks so they can avoid this kind of behaviour when using Facebook.'

Facebook members were particularly stressed when their friends posted pictures of luxurious holidays, or used the social network to boast about new houses or expensive cars, the study found.

However, Professor Duffy said Facebook users could protect themselves against depression by remembering that many of their 'friends' on the social network are painting a rosy picture of their lives and they only post the beautiful parts of their lives