Facebook is making you feel miserable.

I thought I was immune. I only went on Facebook to hear about the latest Trump scandals, hate-watch viral videos with titles like “You won’t believe what happens next,” and read interesting articles about technological breakthroughs that sound like they come from science-fiction novels. But recently I found myself spending more time than I’d like to admit skimming though the Facebook profiles of long forgotten friends and classmates from my childhood.

It was harmless at first. “I wonder what they’ve been up to,” I thought to myself. Very little, I discovered — at least in my eyes. Many had barely left the city they grew up in, most hadn’t pursue a college degree, and several were single parents. Scrolling through some of their posts, it seemed many of them had never really grew up.

Then it hit me. I was looking down on them, making myself feel superior by comparison, and I didn’t like the feeling. I closed my computer in shame. I caught myself in the act, but if you think back it’s likely you’ve done this as well.

“We’ve all skimmed through the social media accounts of exes, wondering if their lives have gotten better or worse since separating.”

Or perhaps you’ve experienced something else — that feeling of scrolling through your Facebook news feed and sensing that all of your friends seem to be leading lives much more interesting than your own.

We’ve all skimmed through the social media accounts of exes, wondering if their lives have gotten better or worse since separating. Everyone has that friend who never seems to be home, away in some foreign land feeding exotic animals. And if you’re part of the Millennial Generation like me, your current Facebook news feed probably consist of lots of photo announcements of weddings, babies, and house purchases.

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