Is Facebook Bad for Your Health?

Two recent studies have shown using Facebook could actually be bad for your health.

Social psychologists at the University of Michigan tracked 82 young adults over a two-week period and discovered the more time the study participants spent on Facebook, the worse they reported feeling.

“Maybe when you’re looking at Facebook you’re engaging in a lot of social comparisons," lead study author Ethan Kross told Time Magazine. "Maybe when you’re on Facebook you’re not engaging in other kinds of activities that may be good for you, like getting outside, exercising and interacting with people in daily life.”


Another study conducted by the University of Birmingham in Britain found that sharing photos on the site actually led to a decrease in the closeness of their personal relationships.

"This is because people, other than very close friends and relatives, do not seem to relate well to those who constantly share photos of themselves," said Dr. David Houghton, of the University of Birmingham, according to RT.com.

In a Fox News article, psychiatrist Keith Ablow described Facebook as "psychologically toxic" and contributing to "actual psychological suffering in users."

"My theory about Facebook is based on my observations that posting hundreds of photos of one's self is an ego-inflating, narcissistic drug and that having hundreds or thousands of false 'friends' is extremely similar to the sensation of getting high.  Pot and Facebook both make you feel better about your life while distracting you from really making your life better," he wrote.

Do you believe Facebook is bad for users? Do you believe users are more likely to avoid dealing with real-life problems? Is Facebook detrimental to personal relationships? Let us know in the comments.