A new study reveals that Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites can make people more insecure and anxious.

More than fifty percent of users of social networking sites confessed that they have experienced a change in behavior for using these sites, with fifty percent saying their lives have become worse.

In particular, users lose confidence when they read about the achievements of their friends on social sites, resulting in a negative impact in their own lives.

Social Networking users are prone to anxiety and insecurity (Image: allietipton (CC) via Flickr)

According to Nicky Lidbetter from Anxiety UK, a charitable institution which organized the survey, “if you are predisposed to anxiety it seems that the pressures from technology act as a tipping point, making people feel more insecure and more overwhelmed.”

In another research conducted by the Salford Business School from the University of Salford in the United Kingdom, 55% of respondents mentioned feeling “worried or uncomfortable” when they were unable to access their email accounts or their Facebook pages. This shows that the Internet can be very addictive.

A Daily Telegraph report also mentioned 67 percent of respondents have a hard time sleeping or relaxing after using social networking sites. In addition, 25 percent had problems dealing with their workplace or relationships after quarreling online.
Sixty percent said they found it necessary to shut down their gadgets to relax, with 33 percent saying they have to shut down a couple of times in any given day.

According to Dr. Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist said that increased anxiety is suffered by many users because they are unable to take control of the demands they are facing. She said, “I think one of the key things is that people have begun to behave as though technology is in control of them, instead of the other way round. We can switch the gadgets off but a lot of us have forgotten how to.”

About Neal Alfie Lasta

I enjoy learning and writing about social media and the latest in mobile updates.