Ditching Facebook will make you happier, study says

You know that feeling when you think your Monday isn't going that badly, then a cursory glance at Facebook and a particularly smug photo of a friend on some idyllic beach makes you question your existence. Well, turns out you're not the only one. We all hate them. 

But according to researchers at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, the answer doesn't lie in blocking him - you should just leave Facebook. 

In their study, they split over 1,000 Facebook users into two groups and made one group go cold turkey. After just seven days 88 per cent of the group that left Facebook said they felt "happy" as opposed to 81 per cent in the group still using the site. 

They also felt less angry, less lonely, less depressed, more decisive, more enthusiastic, and enjoyed their lives more. Plus ditching Facebook also reduced stress by 55 per cent.

The study says:

People on Facebook are 39% more likely to feel less happy than their friends.

Instead of focusing on what we actually need, we have an unfortunate tendency to focus on what other people have […] 5 out of 10 envy the #amazing experiences of others posted on Facebook.

1 out of 3 envy how #happy other people seem on Facebook.


4 out of 10 envy the apparent #success of others on Facebook.

So while the group still using the site were able to procrastinate to an impressive degree, it turns out avoiding your newsfeed helps your mental well-being. 

You should still stop being friends with that Humblebragger right now though.