What happens when you take a little break听from听Facebook?听According to a research by the (HRI), more听丑补辫辫颈苍别蝉蝉听and a better听social life await you.听The听HRI is an independent Danish institute that deals with welfare, quality of life and听happiness. They led听a Facebook experiment with the goal of assessing the impact听social network has on its users鈥� lives.
The study was conducted in Denmark on a sample of听1,095 individuals divided into听two random groups.听In听one of the two听groups, the participants were asked to听abstain from using Facebook听for a week.听In the other sample the use of听Facebook听was high, with听94% of participants using it daily.听Before and after these听seven days, the participants completed a questionnaire, which evaluated various aspects of their lives.
The level of perceived satisfaction increased (on a scale from听1 to听10) from听7,56 to听8,12 for those who abstained from the social media, while the increase was more modest among those who remained connected (from听7.67 to听7.75).
How can a break听from Facebook change self-perception and quality of life?听
What happened to the people who spent a week offline?
Apparently, they were happier, less worried, less depressed, less lonely, more excited and more resolute. They also benefited from a enhanced social life, which was more satisfying in general. In addition, the period of time offline contributed to an increase in their concentration. The participants听also felt that they were wasting their time using Facebook.
The “social envy”听risk
Data from听the experiment also showed how听Facebook can stimulate social envy.听5 out of听10 people听felt听envy听for the incredible experiences others have had,听1 out of听3 for others鈥櫶�丑补辫辫颈苍别蝉蝉听and听4 out of听10 for their 补辫辫补谤别苍迟听蝉耻肠肠别蝉蝉.
鈥淓nvy听is听the most difficult feeling to admit, but certainly present, in varying quantities in all of us.听What makes the difference is always the measure.鈥� reports a psychologist from the department for 听鈥淏eing a little jealous can also mean听becoming competitive, while being pathologically envious means you spoil your social and emotional relations because you feel you would never measure up and wish that others lose what they have to decrease the distance between you and them. Thus, for the easily jealous, Facebook can become an arena of impossible and risky competition, putting salt on an open wound or a low basic self-esteem, which can result听in a change of perceived quality of life.鈥�
Is there anyone with an increased听risk for envy?
鈥淚n addition to those who give and have little value in themselves, there are the teenagers.听Teenagers need to build their adult personality even by comparison with others.听If this happens most of the time in a virtual context, they can develop fake identities.鈥�
A听distorted perception of reality
鈥淭he virtual space has created an area of operations and relationships with very different characteristics from the limits imposed by reality.听In daily reports in fact we have more awareness of what we are doing and the possible consequences, even negative, of our direct actions.听Through the network some people have fewer inhibitions, as if the relationships could be 鈥減layed鈥� in a simpler way. On听one hand, this may听allows us to express even the most hidden parts of ourselves while on the other hand, the situation can risk spiraling out of control.听Since this is a type of 鈥渟ocial window鈥� it is normal for a person to consciously decide to share only the best part of himself, as we tend to do everyday life with more superficial relationships.鈥�
How to avoid social听envy and distortion?
鈥淭o live as much as possible in a space of real relationships.听Meeting different people, with problems common to us all, allows us to reevaluate听our ideals.听It is so nice to find that even the person who seemed so perfect and brilliant may have difficulties at times!听Just like you and everyone else.鈥�
However,听one should be careful听not to demonize the tool itself.听Facebook, like all new technologies, opens new horizons of communication, obviously if used within proper limits.
