Facebook can be a great tool for communication and building relationships but it's not without its drawbacks says an Airdrie therapist.

Registered Psychologist Marsha Otuka says Facebook has become an integral part of our everyday lives and it's not going to go away. "Social media is always something that's going to be there, so it's important to figure out a balance between anything in our lives."

Otuka starts with the positives of social media. "Some research says that people feel a sense of happiness or contentment from using Facebook because it gives them a feeling of connectedness. Some students use Facebook to maintain existing relationships because they're away at school and research has shown for some of these students they report better social adjustments and lower levels of loneliness."

Then, she says, there is the flip side of Facebook use. "The flip side could be some persons compare themselves when they sit and they use Facebook, they compare themselves to other perfect lives or their portrayal of a perfect life on Facebook. This can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction, increasing depression and their self esteem starts to deteriorate."

According to Otuka, women are particularly susceptible. "One research suggests that women use Facebook and feel less happy and content with their lives because we write about our feelings and men can just write about any casual thing. Different persons use it for different reasons."

Otuka says creating a balance is important. "While Facebook can lead to some positive, helpful communication and relationship building situations, it can also cause relationships to be torn down. You need to declare how much time you're going to spend on Facebook and declare who your friends are on Facebook, and also ensure that you're spending quality time on other areas of your life."  

Okuta wonders who your true friends are on Facebook. "It's okay to have 700 people attached to your account, but who are your friends. I'm very careful of the term friends. I have lots of associates and former employees, but they're not my friends. I have family abroad and social media keeps me connected. I see the baby pictures and I celebrate with them through Facebook and other social media. That's friends and that's family."  

 

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