More Facebook Friends Means More Stress & Anxiety, Study Shows

Especially if "friends" are boss, parents, ex

The more Facebook friends a person has, the more likely the site will be a source of stress. A report from the University of Edinburgh Business School found that adding friends, especially one's employer or parents, can result in an increase in anxiety for the user. Stress arises when a user presents a version of themself on the site that is unacceptable to, or fails to meet the expectations of, their friends. The 'bad' behavior can include swearing, recklessness, drinking and smoking. Nearly 55 percent of parents follow their children on Facebook. Additionally, more than half of employers have not hired someone based on their Facebook page. The report also found that more people are Facebook friends with their exes (64 percent) than with their current partner (56 percent). Researchers found that, on average, people are Facebook friends with seven different social circles, including their offline friends, their extended family, siblings, friends of friends and and colleagues. (EurekAlert)

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