Like other things in life, online communication has it pros and cons, and there may be a different reality behind what you read or see
Studies on "Facebook jealousy" are not new, and recent findings are predictable. The "jealous guys" are getting more and more restless because it seems that friends and colleagues are leading such wonderful lives, and even those suffering from stress appear to have a cool way of expressing it. "Why does true misery belong to us exclusively?" you often ask yourself.
The good news is that everybody is asking the same question. Facebook is a great place, a great communication and reuniting tool and a great way to promote a good cause - but it has its downside. First, the content is far from 100 per cent real and can be quite misleading. Many posters seem to have perfect families, travel all the time and eat elegant food on a daily basis, while others seemingly can't stop being righteous just for one minute.
You can feel "small" reading too many posts, as a recent "Facebook envy" study shows. Your kid can't play any musical instrument and has just slammed the door in your face. You can't complain about rats or cockroaches in your house while everybody else is in Italy or criticising hotel service in Manchester. You have no political views and can't understand the fuss about Article 112. To make matters worse, Facebook is a place where you see your "ex" every day, again apparently having a wonderful life, probably with "someone new", whose photos you have seen once too many times for comfort.
Those who conduct the studies emphasise that you're far from being alone in your Facebook depression or jealousy. We call the social media, led by Facebook, a "public square" for good reason. While everyone can meet, reunite with old friends and advocate ideologies, everyone also has to "dress well". Few people bring serious family problems to the public square. No one will announce, "I slapped my son today" or "I committed adultery last night". But a number of people "sex up" what they post - a little or a lot - which means that positive things appear even more positive on the screen.
So, the message is, "Don't be jealous". Every Facebook user is a human being just like you. They may post stories about Michelin-star restaurant food every day, but one of their close relatives could be suffering from a terminal illness that they don't want to talk about. Behind awesome travel photos could be a broken home or a job on the verge of being terminated.
It's all about using and understanding Facebook, or other social media. Like everything else in life, social media have pros and cons. People are better connected, and support can be mobilised for a cause or for those in need in the blink of an eye, but many users have become nosy, jealous or disgruntled because of what they otherwise can't see. Accessibility comes with a great price.
If you feel bad about the content on the social media, a simple solution is to avoid them. Or you could approach the problem more wisely. Just because we don't see wheelchairs at department stores doesn't mean there is no suffering in this world. Just because your "ex" posts happy, smiling photos all the time doesn't mean he or she never cries.
And make no mistake, there is plenty of sincere content on the social media. There are posts like, "I woke up at 3pm and have done nothing for four hours", or "Got a presentation tomorrow but that won't stop me from drinking myself silly tonight."
Don't let the social media humble you. The studies have simply confirmed that all of us are human, so we should approach the findings sensibly. After all, while being jealous is a very human trait, so is understanding.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/03/30/dont-let-the-social-media-make-you-feel-humble/
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