![]() ![]() ![]() Think society’s most common addictive substances are coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol? Think again. If you’re on the job market, make sure to check your privacy settings and restrict any risqué content to “Friends Only,” if you don’t wish to delete it entirely. While 89% of job-seekers use social networking sites, 37% of potential employers do, as well-and are actively looking into their potential hires (Smith, 2013). We often think these posts are safe from prying eyes, but that might not be the case. Do you really want a potential employer to know about how drunk you got at last week’s kegger…or the interesting wild night that followed with the girl in the blue bikini? Peluchette and Karl (2010) found that 40% of users mention alcohol use on their Facebook page, and 20% mention sexual activities. It can reveal information you might not want to share with potential employers.Krafsky and Krafsky recommend talking with your partner about behaviors that you both consider safe and trustworthy on Facebook, and setting boundaries where you don’t feel comfortable. “Checking up on” your partner’s page can often lead to jealousy and even unwarranted suspicion, particularly if your husband’s exes frequently come into the picture. Who is this Stacy LaRue, and why is she constantly “liking” my husband’s Facebook posts? Krafsky and Krafsky, authors of Facebook and Your Marriage (2010), address many common concerns in relationships that stem from Facebook use. Facebook stalking doesn’t only apply to your ex. It can make you jealous of your current partner.Even if you still run into your ex in daily life, the effects of online surveillance were significantly worse than those of offline contact. Does she seem as miserable as I am? Is that ambiguous post directed at me? Has she started dating that guy from trivia night? These questions might better remain unanswered indeed, Marshall (2012) found that Facebook users who reported visiting their former partner’s page experienced disrupted post-breakup emotional recovery and higher levels of distress. Want to know what your ex is up to? You can…and that might not be a good thing.Facebook stalking has made it harder to let go of past relationships. It can keep you in touch with people you’d really rather forget.This can lead you to believe that your favorite political candidate is a shoe-in for the upcoming election, even though many of your friends are saying otherwise…you just won’t hear them. Facebook’s sorting function places posts higher in your newsfeed if they’re from like-minded friends-which may distort your view of the world (Constine, 2012). Not only have your internet searches grown more personalized, so have social networking sites. Eli Pariser, author of The Filter Bubble (2012), can promise you won’t see the same search results. Sit next to a friend while you each search for the same thing on Google. It can lead to a sense of false consensus.Additional findings suggest that the negative psychological impact of passively following others on Facebook is driven by the feelings of envy that stem from passively skimming your feed. Buxmann and Krasnova (2013) have found that seeing others’ highlights on your newsfeed can make you envious of friends’ travels, successes, and appearances. Did cousin Annabelle announce a nice new promotion last month, a new car last week, and send a photo from her cruise vacation to Aruba this morning? Not only can Facebook make you feel like you aren’t sharing in your friends’ happiness, but it can also make you feel envious of their happy lives. ![]() It can lead you to envy your friends’ successes.Indeed, a study by Chou and Edge (2012) found that chronic Facebook users tend to think that other people lead happier lives than their own, leading them to feel that life is less fair. Facebook is a quick, effortless way to engage in social comparison, but with even one glance through your newsfeed you might see pictures of your friends enjoying a mouth-watering dinner at Chez Panisse, or perhaps winning the Professor of the Year award at Yale University. To answer a question like, “Am I doing better or worse than average?” you need to check out other people like you. Social psychologist Leon Festinger observed that people are naturally inclined to engage in social comparison. It can make you feel like your life isn’t as cool as everyone else’s. ![]()
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