Can Facebook make you poor? Potentially. New research out of the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University indicates that social media use hampers some individuals’ self-control.
While social network use does positively influence overall well-being and self-esteem, researchers discovered that there is a downside. “Because consumers care about the image they present to close friends, social network use enhances self-esteem in users who are focused on close friends while browsing their social network,” said Keith Wilcox and Andrew Stephen, who led the research, to Mashable. “This momentary increase in self-esteem leads them to display less self-control after browsing a social network.”
This lowered sense of self-control can manifest itself in a number of ways, including an increased likelihood of binge eating, a higher body mass index, a lower credit score and higher debt levels. Do you agree with the study’s findings?
More From PayScale
Target Set to Hire Fewer Seasonal Workers This Year
Is Personal Branding the New Corporate Culture? [infographic]
Google’s VetNet Entrepreneur Track Helps Veterans Pursue Entrepreneurship
(Photo credit: Lululemon Athletica/Flickr)
Leave a Reply