How Does Facebook Make Us Unhappy? A Research Review
How Does Facebook Make Us Unhappy? A Research Review

Summary/Abstract: Research shows that Facebook use may cause detrimental effects on users’ well-being. However, mixed results are often found regarding the relationship between Facebook use and depressive symptoms due to different concepts of well-being used by researchers (raising difficulty in comparing the findings) and Facebooks multi-purpose nature where measuring “general use” is likely an oversimplification resulting in imprecise interpretation regarding the nature of this association. The aim of this research review is to introduce contemporary findings on the link between Facebook use and depression. Consequently, the effects of nuanced and potentially highly negative well-being issues diverging from Facebook use are discussed. Special attention is paid to envy and social comparison on Facebook. The results of the research review indicate that negative consequences of using Facebook include but are not limited to: negative social comparison, jealousy, envy, surveillance behaviors, social isolation, procrastination, increasing social tension and a state of fatigue resulting from “social overload” and that these consequences can lower users both affective and psychological well-being, facilitate depressive symptoms and in some cases cause depression.

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