Research Says “Facebook Can Cause Jealousy”

• Tweet

• Tweet

Jealous over a Facebook status update? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

According to a study from the University of Guelph, Canada, the more time you spend on Facebook, the more likely you are to feel jealous.

Amy Muise, leader of the study, said the jealousy is caused by overexposing partners to triggers.

“You check your partner’s Facebook page and you see a post from someone you don’t know that says, `It was great seeing you last night,” Muise said. “Even though it could be something very innocent, it can easily be interpreted another way.”

The problem can become a vicious cycle, Muise said, when the jealousy spurned by “Facebook creeping” leads the “creeper” to search for more information that fuels the jealousy even more.

This study is published in the CyberPsychology and Behaviour journal.

Via Canwest News Service