Why Depressed and Lonely People Spend More Time on Facebook?

It’s nothing new that people who use Facebook more often suffer from collapsing social relationships due to their overindulge and excessive online obsession. Besides latest study by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, it’s my own experience which evidently manifest that lonely and depressed people spend more time on Facebook or other social networking sites.

Introduction

Facebook has got more than one billion users and has become the crucial factor and point of people’s everyday life and social interactions. Facebook, which is considered as a social networking medium to connect people overseas, sharing their life events, news, pictures, personal information, meeting new people, making new friends and connecting with family through it, is harming people in many aspects too. It’s the most trending and database topic that is garnering much attention and opinions. I am gonna highlight some of the crucial reasons why lonely and depressed people use Facebook more often.

1. Social Augmentation Hypothesis. People who use the internet for communication should expand their social networks, so that they could derive many of the rational benefits that come with being more connected with people. According to this hypothesis, loneliness leads to frequent use of Facebook. People who have not many friends, or close family seek out Facebook, as a source of social interaction to meet their needs of communication and affiliation.
2. Compensating for ‘FtF’ Interactions. People, who lack skills and confidence for involving in FtF (Face to Face) conversation and interaction, feel low about their incapability. Hence, they try to compensate, making themselves capable enough to interact with people online.
3. Way out to get over depression. Some people think it’s better to get indulged in social networking to get over depression, anxiety and loneliness. Fighting depression concept is somewhat misunderstood by some people who think they could make themselves feel better by using Facebook and making new friends. But, virtually it has got the opposite effect on people’s depression and loneliness.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research

The feeling of loneliness or depression is making more people to look for friends on Facebook or on other social networking sites, but the latest study revealed that the social networking site makes people feel more isolated. According to the researchers, people use the social network in an effort to feel more connected. Compared to non-lonely and less depressed people, lonely people spend more time on Facebook. The research on whether the internet increases psychological dysfunctions such as loneliness or not, the latest study suggested that frequent internet use has got adverse and disastrous effects on human psychology. The study supports that using internet is associated with loneliness. The researchers have also found that the feeling of loneliness and depression is directly proportional to the time spent on Facebook increases and vice versa. Hence, Facebook does not help minimizing loneliness even if we feel more connected while using it. The researchers asserted that Facebook allows its users who feel lonely and socially isolated to experience the benefits of social interaction. But at the same time, it can make them more isolated too as maximized online contacts may replace their real-life interactions. Facebook which is so widespread all around the globe, and is evolving day by day, has become an addiction to many people who get deeply involved in it. Hence, it’s essential to understand the causes and the long-term impacts of using social media.

Conclusion

It is way too essential for people to know that Facebook isn’t a cure for fighting your loneliness or depression social anxiety, and lack of social support. However, it’s only for recreation, sharing ideas and strengthening your social skills, whether you’re lonely or not.  And if any one out there is coping with loneliness, anxiety or depression better go for natural medication which can improve your health personally and socially.