]Is having a Facebook account really worth it? Facebook has more than eight hundred million active users and fifty percent of those active users log on every day as the social networking facts prove.  Facebook is changing the American society in so many different ways. The positive effects of being socially connected supersede the negative consequences, but at the rate, the feeling of inferior or left out by your circle of friends is growing, Facebook and other social networks may no longer be a fun way to stay connected with friends. Facebook over the last few years has become less and less popular, because people are finally realizing it is not at all what it is said to be. Although people still use Facebook and other social networks to connect with family and friends, they do not consider the harmful and unhealthy effects it could have on an individual. Facebook has a bad effect on people because it is physically, mentally, and emotionally unhealthy.

Facebook has proven to be physically unhealthy. People choose to spend time on Facebook instead of getting out and being active. They do this for multiple reasons. One, it sounds a lot easier, secondly with the technology nowadays, it is right at everyone’s fingertips and is hard to resist. Lastly, they use Facebook as an excuse. Facebook in more than one way causes a person to eat more and more, which eventually leads to obesity, or even the opposite. “The more time girls spend on Facebook and other social networking sites, the more likely they were to develop eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and extreme dieting” (Swartz, web). When people are on Facebook reading about all the gossip and drama, they tend to sit and snack on junk food. According to a British survey, a third of the people said they had gained weight while using Facebook or other social networks (Pilieci, web). Teens that use Facebook compared to those that don’t tend to have more stomach problems, headaches and other health problems. Some even have a hard time sleeping because of it.

Facebook is mentally unhealthy due to its waste of time. It causes stress in the lives of many when they don’t need it. Facebook is an unproductive time suck. People spend hours and hours liking stuff, posting stuff, linking, sharing, and finding friends on Facebook. Whether they realize it or not those hours and short minute scrolls add up fast! Studies have shown that on average people spend approximately half a day, twelve hours on Facebook every week. Most come to realize that they don’t have twelve hours to give up every week. Also proven by social networking facts is that eighty-five percent of college students have Facebook profiles and sixty to seventy percent of them log in daily. Facebook acts like a drug; it becomes addictive and brings out the worst in people, just like drugs do. Facebook causes people to get into politics, religion, useless and worthless arguments where people state their opinion. There will always be someone that disagrees and it just ends up being a mess. The world has changed. It has become so technologicall people don’t even know how to have a face to face conversation anymore due to Facebook and other social networks. Facebook can also be used against people. For example, say someone applies for a job, have an interview with the boss, everything is going just perfect, and they call and tell them the bad news. The job just wasn’t right for them. Ever wonder why? Businesses almost always run background checks including a Facebook stalk. The things posted on social media affect the lives of many including jobs, careers, etc. Facebook is making the world a smaller place.

Emotionally Facebook tears people apart, nobody really realizes what goes on behind all of the pictures and profiles. Researchers found no matter how many online friends a user had, no matter how supportive they were and no matter what their reason was for visiting Facebook, they ended up leaving feeling worse about themselves (Guynn, Web). By having the ability to see what other people post and say can cause jealousy. Skimming through photos of friends life successes can trigger feelings of envy and loneliness as well. The most common cause of Facebook frustration comes from users comparing themselves social to their peers, and the second most common source of dissatisfaction was from “lack of attention” having fewer likes, comments and general feedback compared to friends (Sifferlin, web). Facebook allows people to post whatever they want about whomever, this often includes rude and uncalled for comments. Kids don’t think before they post. Later learning from consequences, they shouldn’t have posted stuff like that. When people hear about someone they know committing suicide and why, most have regrets for the rude things they may or may not have said to them. It really is a sad deal because people will never know if they had an effect on their lives, and they don’t realize it until that person isn’t there anymore. These comments are a way of cyberbullying. Cyber bullying, like those comments and posts, lead to suicide and other long term hardships. What is posted online is and always will be there so people should really watch what they post because they will probably regret it later in life. Facebook is full of drama! This drama leads to low self esteem, depression and even suicide. Most teenagers find Facebook to be a joke when in reality it is serious and needs to be taken seriously. 

Those that live and die for Facebook argue that it is the only way for them to stay in touch with family and friends. “It is worldwide unlike texting and other social networks” (Pashenkov, web).  If people really wanted to stay in touch with family and real friends they should be comfortable talking with them over the phone or even visit them in real life, and not just over Facebook! People stalk family and friends over Facebook a ton more than they realize. Being so technologically advanced has caused everybody to fear public speaking; they would rather do it all over Facebook and text, if this is the case now imagine it in ten more years There are just too many downsides to Facebook and by far they outweigh the good in it.

In closing, Facebook isn’t what it is all talked up to be. People are afraid to admit the bad effects Facebook has on an individual. Facebook is so harmful and is the number one cause of weight gain in the society today. Facebook in reality is pathetic in every way, but in a larger sense it is what the world has come to. Also it has become such a problem people don’t know how to have a face to face conversation. People are spending a ridiculous amount of time on Facebook posting non relevant things wasting non valuable time on facebook. Why do people feel the need to post everything they do every second of their lives on Facebook, most would rather have a little privacy and keep it to themselves? This is all due to its waste of time. Bullying through Facebook and other social networks has become a new fad because nobody is doing anything about it. Just because everyone else might have a Facebook doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.  Facebook may be one option to stay in touch with family and friends, when in reality if they really wanted to stay in touch they should be able to give them a call or visit them. If not they are just stalking them which is a waste of time! Facebook really does have a bad effect on the lives of an individual physically, mentally and emotionally. Facebook should not control an individual’s life, so don’t let it!