Why unsuccessful people on social networks make us feel better?

Do you sometimes wonder what motivates your behavior on social networks? Have you noticed the need to stop seeing the profiles of your acquaintances, who are doing good? Do not worry, you are not the only one.

In 2014, a social experiment with 168 students took place at Ohio State University to explore how Facebook creates different moods. The experiment reinforces the theory that people have a tendency to use social networks to set their moods. The trend indicates that those who feel unhappy with their lives have the habit of tracking online acquaintances who are in a more unpleasant situation than them. This way they are reassured about their failures, the delayed promotion, the failed relationships, or the few pounds they have gained, because there is always someone who has gained more.

On the other hand, successful and happy people spend most of their time watching individuals who are more successful than them. This way they increase their motivation for development and success. But if you are not satisfied with your situation, the last thing you want to see is how all your acquaintances are doing great while you don’t know what you want to do with your life.

With the development of Facebook and Instagram, a bunch of new mental health syndromes are emerging.
The publicity, which acquires the everyday life of everyone, brings its great disadvantages. There is a need for constant development and comparison with others, as all your friends or followers, even those you do not know personally, are keeping an eye on your actions.

According to a study of the British Royal Society for Public Health, among 1500 young people in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Instagram is the media that reflects the worst the mental health of users.

The photo and video platform has become a means of gaining self-esteem or proving status. By showing only the good aspects of every experience, consumers are developing the need to reinforce the improbability of their lives in front of the social crowd. This tendency has been rooted so deep in the social understanding of the channel that the word “instagramable” (worthy of publication in Instagram) has become synonymous with “incredible” and “awesome”.

Due to the lack of documentation of the less glossy and incredible moments of everyday life, you create an illusion that other people do not face difficulties. This increases the levels of stress and depression, as well as the fear that everyone else is doing better. This provokes the preference of people who do not feel well to follow more unsuccessful people. In this way, they manage to dull their sense of failure and increase their self-esteem.

In the end, the saying “it could always be worse” has, by no means, become one of the favorite comforting phrases that haven’t changed over time. Even on the contrary, it finds its place among the new social trends.