"generation Y"

[russycarps]

I think most people are aware that bookface portrayals are fake though. People selectively show the bits of their lives they want others to see, and they know that others will do the same. It's always been true that people like to appear like they've got a fantastic life - particularly to acquaintances which is actually the vast proportion of facebook 'friends' - it's just now easier to instantly and selectively do that en masse.

I don't think anyone believes that any profile is a genuine display of the complete person, but a facebook profile is now part of the image everyone chooses to portray, along with the clothes they wear, their hairstyle, etc. It's just another layer of how to define what you want to be defined as.

[mrtourette]

I think you're wrong. I think loads of people get depressed (not in the medical sense of course) looking at facebook, due to the perception that others lives are "better" than theirs. Loads.

[mrtourette]

I do disagree with the idea about being "special" being particular to my generation. People have always had these self serving biases; "I'm an above average car driver" or academics who believe their work is much superior than their colleagues. Too many people endorse these statements for them to make statistic sense, e.g. 70% of people think they have above average intelligence. The idea is that these self serving biases are important in maintaining a good self image. Also interestingly there is a correlation between depression and self serving biases, whereby people with depression are less likely to think they are above average or special than non depressed people. We have always had this idea that we are a special person, even if it is obviously incorrect to think so.

[kaosmark2]

You would hope that most people would be aware, like you said, that people are painting an idealized picture of their lives on Facebook and other social networks. It would certainly be interesting to see the psychological impact (if any) of using social networks . I haven't really read any research on it.

[zero000]

Self-serving bias has always been there, what's different about your generation (although I'm probably only outside of it by a couple of years) is that the vast majority will have grown up with their parents being able to take advantage of the relatively generous or easy financial circumstances in the 90's and 00's and therefore will have unreasonably high/unrealistic expectations of the situation when they enter it themsleves.

[mrtourette]

It's more about expectations vs reality rather than being seen as special I guess. It is kind of depressing that my generation are the first to be worse off than their parents, yet no one really cares. The tuition fees are a great example of the shafting of young people, people who went to university for free are saddling people with £30k plus of debt.

[Guest]

I think you're wrong. I think loads of people get depressed (not in the medical sense of course) looking at facebook, due to the perception that others lives are "better" than theirs. Loads.

[mrtourette]

is that why Eastenders exists? so they can then redress the balance by watching a bunch of numpties living a hell-like existence?

[russycarps]

is that why Eastenders exists? so they can then redress the balance by watching a bunch of numpties living a hell-like existence?

[Purple Monkey]

I think you're wrong. I think loads of people get depressed (not in the medical sense of course) looking at facebook, due to the perception that others lives are "better" than theirs. Loads.

[Purple Monkey]

It's not... Life is fucking awesome!!! We aren't all sad bastards like you!