SOCIAL NETWORK SITES AND HAPPINESS: FACEBOOK
Social network sites have rapidly changed the way people interact. The most popular social network site is Facebook with an increasing number of people spending an increasing amount of time on Facebook each day. In this article we discuss the impact of using Facebook on happiness. A review of the present literature reveals that happiness is differentially impacted by active and passive Facebook usage. Active Facebook usage stimulates social capital and connectedness, which, in turn, positively impact happiness. Passive Facebook usage often leads to upward social comparisons and envy, which, in turn, negatively impact happiness. People tend to use Facebook more often passively than actively, and hence, tend to use Facebook in a way that undermines rather than enhances happiness. We end this article by discussing possibilities for future research.