Inline Comment

To Be Happy, Dump Facebook!

InfoMental Health
Not so much about radio, more about life.

While Pharrell may sing "Happy", did you know that in Denmark, there is an institute dedicated to studying happiness? Or that the Danes are - or at least were until fairly recently - the happiest people in Europe and the best country in the world for women to live in?

You may have noticed that nobody in Radiomation Land is active on Facebook. We feel life is too short for you to be the slightest bit interested in what we may have planned for the weekend or what exotic place we're in that you'll never get to... [Roscommon anyone?]    We always welcome the chance to chat you personally - "It's Good to Talk" - remember.

But now, the science is in and it proves that if you want to be happier, you should cancel your Facebook account. If you cancel it directly, you are just 7 short days from being a happier person.  Simple!  It's the conclusion arrived at a in a proper, scientific study carried out by the Happiness Research Institute. What's more, dumping Facebook will not only make you happier, but also less angry,  less sad and less worried.

Don't believe me? Ok, here's the link to download a .pdf direct from the Institute but if that's too long for you, here's the short version as reported by Netscape...


" Facebook is, in many ways, a study of the haves vs. the have-nots. When a 'Facebook Friend' buys an expensive new car and lords it over everyone with lots of photos, it makes you feel even worse about that old heap in your driveway - especially because you know you'll never be able to afford the car your "friend" just purchased.

The study:

The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, assembled 1,095 daily Facebook users.
  • Half of them were required to quit the social media website for one week,  while, in order to provide a control group, the other half continued to use it as they normally would.

  • The results:

  • After only seven days the group no longer on Facebook reported:

    • Feeling happier,
    • Being less sad, less worried, less angry and less depressed.
    • They also said they enjoyed life more.
    • They were more likely to feel present in the moment
    • They were better able to concentrate.

  • Meanwhile, the group still using Facebook was measured as:

    • 55 percent more likely to feel stressed than those who had stopped using Facebook.
    • 39 percent more likely to feel less happy than the non-users.

    It's clear that envy is a huge factor in all this. About half of Facebook users admitted they envy other people's '#amazing' experiences that are posted there. About a third envied others' happiness, while 40 percent envied the apparent success of others.

    The takeaway:

  • Focus on what you actually need in life - and not on what other people have "

  • So there you have it,and while it might sound Zen-like, isn't it really obvious?

    No, like, really obvious?


    So don't look for us on YouTwitFace any time soon... but give us a call any time!

    The report and its conclusions are © THE HAPPINESS RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2015, and the article mostly by Netscape.