Miscellaneous Rambling
Day Four of absolute sobriety. Black Wednesday looms. It's possibly my favorite night of the year. I hope to have a BYCU Special Edition post tomorrow.
This story didn't surprise me: For the first time, researchers say Facebook can cause depression. Moreover, the speculated reason for it doesn't surprise me at all. Many of us have speculated the same for years:
Why does social media make so many people feel bad? The study didn't analyze this, but Hunt offers two explanations. The first is “downward social comparison.” You read your friends' timelines. They're deliberately putting on a show to make their lives look wonderful. The result: “You're more likely to think your life sucks in comparison,” says Hunt. The second reason: FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out.
Yup. The only thing more dishonest than Facebook is Snapchat. Maybe Instagram. Maybe it's a three-way tie, but the bottom line is, people posting their good times on FB are almost always lying . . . or exaggerating. I remember seeing a post about a gathering at the drinking club, and I was feeling a bit bummed out that I didn't attend. When I talked with one of the attendees (who was pictured smiling), he said, "Oh man, it was lame. Terrible." But in the picture, everyone was smiling and looked like they were having a great time.
Lies, damned lies, and statistics Facebook.
So take comfort, ye FB afflicted: Everyone else's lives suck, too!
Wow, I'm impressed. Seriously impressed: Legatus Withholding 2019 Vatican Tithe. These folks are leaders. We all ought to seriously consider whether we should follow.
