Is Facebook adding more stress in your social life?

The University of Edinburgh’s business school just released a report that the more friends you have online, the more stress you have. The reason being is the fear that you might offend someone. As social media grows to include one seventh of the worlds population, people circles are rapidly joining. This includes those that you might not feel as comfortable sharing private jokes or late night tales with. It’s old news that parents are connecting with their children over Facebook. According to the Atlantic “80 percent of parents who use social media have friended their children on Facebook”.  This mincing of cultures  is contributing to our social stress. You can no longer tailor your work dynamic for some and your social for others. The author of the report, Ben Marder jovially sums up the situation, “Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends where you can dance, drink and flirt. But now with your Mum, Dad and boss there the party becomes an anxious event full of potential social landmines.” The universality of social networks has created a single identity that is shared with most people we know. It appears we have given up personal complexity for convenience.

Is social media complicating your life or simplifying it? How do you avoid social media landmines?

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