HERE is another reason to be wary of Facebook - researchers say that it's worse for female self-esteem than glossy magazines.

A new paper published in Psychology of Women Quarterly looked at 150 female students aged between 17-25. They found that women spend around 40 per cent of their time on the internet on Facebook and compare the way they look to images of their peers on the site.

The site also allows women to compare pictures of themselves next to their peers, or compare how they looked in the past.

"Our research shows that spending more time reading magazines and on Facebook is associated with greater self-objectification among young women and these relationships are influenced by women's tendency to compare their appearance to others, particularly to peers on Facebook," the researchers said.

"Young women report spending long periods of time on Facebook and this research highlights some of the potential negative influences that Facebook may have on how young women view their body."

The research follows a study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior in February which claimed that being envious of Facebook friends can cause depression.