Facebook can be a tough social landscape for teens already prone to poor self-esteem. We at Wisdom Quarterly have it, too, to see everyone looking so happy and perfect, while our lives are a triumph of mediocrity.
(We didn't even know we were on Facebook until this weekend during X Factor auditions and labor strikes as we dodge nuclear fallout and D.C. dives into debt with eyes wide open). Now doctors warn it's real and growing:
CHICAGO (L.A. Times) — Add "Facebook depression" to potential harms linked with social media, an influential doctors' group warns. Researchers disagree on whether it's an extension of depression some kids feel in other circumstances, or a distinct condition linked with the online site.
(We didn't even know we were on Facebook until this weekend during X Factor auditions and labor strikes as we dodge nuclear fallout and D.C. dives into debt with eyes wide open). Now doctors warn it's real and growing:
CHICAGO (L.A. Times) — Add "Facebook depression" to potential harms linked with social media, an influential doctors' group warns. Researchers disagree on whether it's an extension of depression some kids feel in other circumstances, or a distinct condition linked with the online site.
But there are unique aspects of Facebook that can make it a particularly tough social landscape for kids already dealing with poor self-esteem, said Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe, a Boston-area pediatrician and lead author of new American Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines.
With in-your-face friends' tallies, status updates and photos of happy-looking people having great times, Facebook pages can make some kids feel even worse if they think they don't measure up. It can be more painful than sitting alone in a crowded school cafeteria or other real-life encounters that can make kids feel down, O'Keeffe said, because Facebook provides a skewed view of what's really going on. More
