A new study from the University of Houston says that Facebook viewing can make some feel down. 

The negative feelings come when users compare their lives to the virtual lives of their Facebook friends. Researchers say people often present themselves and their experiences in the best possible light warping users sense of reality.  

“You have to keep in mind that this is a world presented to me by my friends, it's artificially constructed. Everyone is presenting their best face, everyone is trying to be something that looks good and keep that in mind when you’re using Facebook,” said Katherine Aumer, psychology professor HPU.

KITV 4 spoke with many Facebook users who say they have felt the comparison blues. 

“When I see my friends from high school who are married or have kids or this really good job and I'm like 'oh, I'm still in school, I think I should do something about that or I should look for better jobs or I should be more fit, they look really good,” said Heather Cox.

“Sometimes I find myself kind of competing with other people on Facebook,” said Kim Yusom.

Experts recommend trying to avoid comparing yourself to the image that friends create with their online profiles, an image which can often be exaggerated.   

The study by Mai-Ly Steers, “Seeing Everyone Else’s Highlight Reels: How Facebook Usage is Linked to Depressive Symptoms” was published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jscp.2014.33.8.701