Will Your Life Change When You Quit Facebook?

Are you planning to quit Facebook shortly? Quitting Facebook can have both positive and negative effects on your life, finds a new study.

The study, led by Hunt Allcott, Associate Professor at the New York University, suggest that Facebook plays an important role as a source of (real) news and information, as people who quit showed reduced factual news knowledge.

Social Anxiety Disorder | Social Phobia - Causes, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Complications, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health problem where a person is abnormally fearful of social situations, sometimes severe enough to affect daily life.

‘The positive impacts of quitting Facebook have improved the well-being of individuals with less addiction and political polarization and more socialization with friends and families.’

Tweet it Now

However, it also reduced political polarization.

On the other hand, quitting Facebook improved subjective well-being, suggesting that forces such as addiction and projection bias may cause people to use the social networking site more than they otherwise would.

"We find that while deactivation makes people less informed, it also makes them less polarized by at least some measures, consistent with the concern that social media have played some role in the recent rise of polarization in the US," Allcott, said in a statement on Thursday.

Anorexia Nervosa - Types Complications Causes Treatment FAQs
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder most commonly found among teenage girls. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a very low body weight, generally defined as 15% below the Body Mass Index.

But,"Facebook can improve people's lives, whether as a source of entertainment, a means to organize a charity or an activist group, or a vital social lifeline for those who are otherwise isolated.

"Any discussion of social media's downsides should not obscure the basic fact that it fulfills deep and widespread needs," he said.

Computer Related Injuries
Computer- related injury (CRI) is a cluster of work-related symptoms in computer users such as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Work Related Upper Limb Disorder (WRULD), and Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD)

For the study, the team recruited 2,844 participants, aged 18 and older and spent at least 15 minutes on the social networking platform everyday.

The findings revealed that Facebook deactivation reduced online activity, including other social media, while increasing offline activities such as watching TV alone and socializing with family and friends.

Importance of Rural India vis-a-vis Indian Healthcare Reforms
An insight into the currently prevailing scenario pertaining to healthcare sector across India with special focus on the rural masses.

The study also found that deactivating Facebook had a positive, yet minor impact on mood.

Source-IANS