We know that using social media platforms can make people unhappy. But it does not have to be that way. According to a recent study, whether you are happy or unhappy from social media depends on how you use it.

The study investigated 3 major social platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and their effect on a person’s overall well-being and happiness. It compared both online communication with offline and demonstrated that online social interaction had precisely the opposite effect, strongly reducing positive feelings and emotional well-being. The more people used any of the 3 investigated social media platforms, the more negative feelings they reported afterwards for different reasons. The most common one is social comparison.

Passively scrolling down posts and images or just checking one’s news feed (on Facebook) without any reaction or interaction with other users makes people unhappy and reduces their self-esteem. One more remarkable finding of the study was that although people use social media more when they are lonely, time spent on social media only increased feelings of loneliness… Interesting, isn’t it?

So, how do you need to use social media to feel happy? The answer is simple. Direct and active interaction on social media, for example by participating in online discussions, reacting to posts, participating in online webinars and asking questions, can give you a feeling being a part of social events and/or news. This feeling improves your well-being and contributes to happiness.

To summarize, if you want to be happy using social media, stop passively using it. Interact directly in all possible ways to improve your feeling of well-being and day-to-day happiness.

Curious? HERE is the source