Social media was supposed to be the revolutionary medium through which 21^st century dwellers interact in a cutting edge way, but things haven’t worked out quite as planned. At least that’s the feeling you get based on some data coming out of a study conducted by Salford University in England.

According to the study, 55% of people who use Facebook and Twitter complained that it led to them having low self-esteem and anxiety. 298 people were interviewed for the study and more than half claim their lives have deteriorated since they started using the social networking platforms.

The difficulty is that social media exposes strengths and weaknesses in a public way and many people can’t cope with the reality of seeing people doing so much better than them. There was a time when you could put down the new Jag your neighbor was driving to some kind of nefarious activity but social media has put paid to that. Today you can see exactly what is going on in your neighbor’s life and sometimes the truth can leave you a bit winded.

Online confrontations are also causing distress among social media users. One errant rant from a friend or co-worker can spread on your Facebook newsfeed like wildfire. This can cause irreparable damage and embarrassment.

Our attachment to social media and the accompanying mediums of interaction will only get worse. Given these latest findings, many people will need help coping with the complexities.

(Source: sitetrail.com)

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