NEW YORK: Constantly checking Facebook to see what your friends are doing could drive you to depression, a new study warns.
The study found that heavy Facebook users might experience envy, which can ultimately lead to extreme sadness.
The researchers surveyed 736 college students and found that if one quietly stalks their friends on Facebook and then realise that their life doesn't measure up to others, they begin to feel bad about themselves, KLTA.com reported.
"If Facebook is used to see how well an acquaintance is doing financially or how happy an old friend is in his relationship -- things that cause envy among users -- use of the site can lead to feelings of depression," said Margaret Duffy, professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Facebook users usually share every little thing about their lives - the dinner they had out last night, vacations at exotic locations, any award/ felicitation they got, their kids' achievements etc.
Those who don't have got similar things to share may feel envious or sad for not having similar privileges in life, researchers said.
And this isn't just a college phenomenon - people of any age can get similar feelings.