Facebook Depression
The mission statement of Facebook is as follows:
‘Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.’
I for one believe Facebook has achieved this target to a certain extent: developing countries around the world are connecting to the internet and are a part of Facebook, in some areas political barriers are being abolished (for instance in China where censorship of Facebook may be lifted,) and people around the world are increasingly becoming increasingly more connected. A recent study by Facebook and the University of Milan found that the previous separation degree of 6, which was coined in 1967 by Stanley Milgram, is now 4.74 among Facebook users. Though becoming more connected and sharing more obviously has it benefits, harmful by-products have been produced as a result. One such consequence is the condition referred to as ‘Facebook Depression.’
Facebook depression is a virtual extension of what people experience in the real world; in fact, it could be argued that the depression experienced on Facebook is actually worse. One of the causes is the constant numbered and visual reminders of how great the gap in popularity there is between one another, (amount of friends a person has, pictures of people having a good time etc.) Whenever a victim of Facebook depression logs in they are continually exposed to the problem. On the other hand, someone suffering from depression in a real-world environment, such as secondary school, has their experience limited to the time period they are in, e.g. 9am to 3pm. As a result, victims of Facebook depression strive even further to become more popular to overcome their depression. ‘‘With in-your-face friends' tallies, status updates and photos of happy-looking people having great times, Facebook pages can make some kids feel even worse if they think they don't measure up.’
Nonetheless, Facebook is not without its benefits. As I mentioned previously, the advantages are many, with more people being able to connect to friends and family to facilitate a more open and social world. However, parents’ in particular should keep a vigilant eye on their children, as their minds, personalities and values are more vulnerable around the adolescent period, where popularity and social standing seems to be the only important aspect of their lives. As one put it: "It's like a big popularity contest — who can get the most friend requests or get the most pictures tagged.”
References:
Knight, W. (2011). Planes, Trains, Automobiles, & Foursquare Check-ins. Available: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/27364/. Last accessed 24th Nov 2011.
Tanner, L. (2011). Docs warn about teens and 'Facebook depression'.Available: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42298789/ns/health-mental_health/t/docs-warn-about-teens-facebook-depression/#.Ts44OWMUqso. Last accessed 24th Nov 2011.
Zuckerberg, M. (2004). Facebook Info. Available: http://www.facebook.com/facebook?sk=info. Last accessed 24th Nov
Thats actually quite deep. I never thought about how much facebook could be a reflection of a persons reality. though i would say alot of people use facebook as a mask. They may not interact with people in the real world but can be very interactive on facebook. Alot of people have friends on facebook but when they meet them in person they are like complete strangers !
ReplyDeleteIt is common for people to get random adds from strangers. These strangers are mainly people who as mentioned above have what is called 'facebook depression' which means they may not be as popular as others and may be victims of bullying. Facebook may be a way for them to escape reality in order to make new friends online and interact with other people, whereas it could make them feel even worse when they see their fellow class mates' photos of them going out and having fun. As mentioned in the blog it is important that parents stay aware of their children as they could be depressed when coming across such things.
ReplyDeleteGood Find! I have never given much thought as to how depressed Facebook could make a person, particularly if in reality that person isn’t one that society would put under the category of ‘popular’. It’s even more important that parents remain vigilant in the usage of all social network websites that their children are a part of, not just Facebook. This could remove depression from a child’s life at an early stage instead of turning into a long hindrance which affects the child later on in life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments. I’m pleased to hear that Facebook depression is acknowledged amongst us, as well as the need for stringent vigilance from parents, guardians, siblings etc. in ensuring that this depression does not fester.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, it is both pleasing and saddening to note that Facebook has actually implemented a new tool that is intended to help suicidal Facebook users, which allows users to directly chat online with a counsellor when clicking a direct link. It is pleasing to hear that Facebook recognises the need to aid users with depression and suicidal tendencies, but in turn is also distressing to hear that this epidemic has grown to such an extent that immediate support is needed to address this.
In relation to my comment above, this website could provide you further insight.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-talk-facebook-suicide-counseling-1214-20111214,0,3137493.story