Positive Comments on Facebook Improve People's Mood

Using Facebook can make people as happy as getting married or having children. According to the results of a study, positive feedback on Facebook makes individuals happier. Furthermore, if people receive more than sixty comments on Facebook in a month, they become as happy as they would with a significant and pleasant event in their lives. In contrast, receiving 'likes' does not have this effect. According to the Daily Mail, a new study conducted by Facebook and Carnegie Mellon University suggests that increased use of Facebook may not be as harmful as previously thought. The results indicate that personal posts, such as commenting on a photo or a post, make individuals very happy, while receiving 'likes' does not have the same effect. Researchers say that what makes people feel good about comments is the sense that their friends and acquaintances care about them. Dr. Moira Burke, one of the researchers at Facebook, states, 'We are not talking about something extraordinary in Facebook comments. Even a couple of sentences are enough for such an effect. What matters is that someone, like your close friend, has taken the time for you.' This research, published in the journal Computer-Mediated Communication, involved nearly two thousand Facebook users from 91 different countries. The study claims that receiving sixty comments from close friends within a month improves individuals' mental health as much as a significant life event. However, the findings of this study differ from previous research, which indicates that spending time on social networks has a direct relationship with depression and feelings of loneliness. Dr. Robert Korat, another author of the paper from Carnegie Mellon University, remarks, 'One wonders. Do unhappy people use social networks, or do these social networks affect people's happiness?' Dr. Korat suggests that it seems if individuals engage a bit deeper on Facebook and connect with those who care for them, they feel better. This is the same feeling people get when talking face-to-face. He believes that sad individuals spend more time on Facebook, but they have realized that this makes them feel better 'because Facebook reminds them that there are people who care about them.'