A High Number of Facebook Friends Can Lead to Pressure

November 29th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Most of us believe that having more friends on Facebook increases our popularity and our self esteem, but apparently the opposite is true. British researchers at the University of Edinburgh Business School have recently found from studies that people who have more than just a few groups of friends on the social network site are more prone than others to suffer from hurt feelings and low self esteem.

After surveying a little more than 300 current Facebook users, the researchers found that when people represent themselves badly in the eyes of their peers, either by status updates, wall or timeline posts, and photos exhibiting alcohol, drug use, swearing, or irresponsibility, this can lead to large amounts of stress and discomfort on the part of the person making the posts.

The average Facebook user, also found in the study, is friends with seven different social groups. “The most common group was friends known offline (97 percent added them as friends online), followed by extended family (81 percent), siblings (80 percent), friends of friends (69 percent), and colleagues (65 percent).” The last two groups were those of ex-partners and current partners. Merely 56 percent of users were friends with their boyfriends, girlfriends, or spouses online, compared with 64 percent of exes.

Also found in the study, nearly one-third of the more than 300 Facebook users studied used the optional privacy setting that Facebook provides, blocking others from seeing up to everything on a profile. Not doing so can allow current or prospective employers to check their Facebook accounts and make judgments about potential employees based on the content they view. This can lead to future or current job loss, and more importantly, depression and stress.

Additionally, 55 percent of parents followed their children on Facebook, putting stress on family relationships. Personally, I’ve had some bad experiences with family members, specifically my mother, as a friend on my Facebook which caused me a lot of distress. Every time I would post a status that she didn’t like or was concerned about I got a comment on it or a call asking me if anything was wrong. Our relationship literally suffered and got worse due to that but now she is off my “Friends List” and things are a lot better.

Ben Marder, chief author of the study said, “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.”

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