All Those Facebook Friends Are Stressing You Out, Says Science
Feeling a bit run down recently? Is your hair falling out or turning gray? Can't sleep? It could be from all those Facebook friends you've been hoarding.
According to a new study, the more types of friends you have on Facebook, the more likely you are to have increased anxiety. Why? Because with a bigger range of friends, you're more likely to offend someone, like, say, that old family friend who litters your feed with absolutely insane posts. Or, if its not political, it could be all those party pictures you shared.
The researchers postulate that stress can arise when a person participates in behavior that may not be approved by peers on Facebook, such as swearing, recklessness, drinking and smoking.
…"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," said Ben Marder, a marketing fellow at the University of Edinburgh and author of the report.
Then again, the average age of the study's 300 participants was 21, so what do they even have to be worried about? At that age, everyone expects you to be putting dumb shit online.
However, all this stress sort of explains why everyone was so concerned about posting those fake copyright laws on Facebook.
[Image via AP]