How gossiping with friends on Facebook only makes you glum: Scientist claims the more time spent on the site the worse you feel

It is used by millions of people to stay in touch with friends and family.

But far from brightening their day, Facebook could be making its users more unhappy.

Scientists have found the more time individuals spend on the social networking site, the worse they subsequently feel.




Scientists have found the more time individuals spend on the social networking site Facebook, the worse they subsequently feel

More than one in three Britons use Facebook every day, with 24 million logging on to share their latest goings on.

‘On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection,’ said lead researchers Dr Ethan Kross, a psychologist at the University of Michigan.

‘But rather than enhance well-being, we found that Facebook use predicts the opposite result - it undermines it.’ Research carried out earlier this year at the University of Chester suggested Facebook friends are no substitute for the real thing.

It found people are happier and laugh 50 per cent more when talking face-to-face with friends or via webcam than when they use social networking sites.

And the current study backed these findings, with participants who had direct interactions with other people feeling better over time.

In contrast, the more individuals used Facebook during the period, the greater the reduction in their life satisfaction levels.

‘This is a result of critical importance because it goes to the very heart of the influence that social networks may have on people’s lives,’ said co-author John Jonides, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Michigan.

The research, published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE, looked at the browsing habits of 82 young adults, all of whom had smartphones and Facebook accounts.






More than one in three Britons use Facebook every day, with 24 million logging on to share their latest goings on

As well as monitoring their use of social media, the participants all took part in an online survey five times a day, which measured their emotional well-being.

Questions included ‘How do you feel right now?’ and ‘How much have you used Facebook since the last time we asked?’.

They also asked the volunteers to rate their level of life satisfaction at the start and the end of the two-week study. Researcher discovered their happiness levels declined the more they used Facebook.

The reason for the drop in life satisfaction remains unclear, as participants were not more likely to use the social network when unhappy.

‘It was not the case that Facebook use served as a proxy for feeling bad or lonely,’ Dr Kross said.
Further research will now be carried out to understand why time spent on social media can lower moods.

‘This is the advantage of studying Facebook use and well-being as dynamic processes that unfold over time,’ said researcher Philippe Verduyn, from the University of Leuven in Belgium.

‘It allows us to draw inferences about the likely causal sequence of Facebook use and well-being.’ In April, a study by the University of Oxford found couples who communicate using Facebook could be putting a strain on their relationship.

Psychologists found husbands and wives who kept in touch using social media had less satisfying marriages.

Dr Bernie Hogan, from Oxford Internet Institute, suggested marital disharmony could be triggered by the stress and time pressure of constantly maintaining so many different threads of communication.

*So folks, what do you think about this research? What experience do you have in this regards...Do you feel better or worse when you spend so much time chatting away with friends on facebook?






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PHOTOS: Heavily pregnant models wearing six-inch pink stilettos strut runway-worthy designs at New York's Lingerie Fashion Week

Finally, sexy maternity bras!

Traditional maternity lingerie, with its frumpy fit and bland designs, is usually far from sexy. But a runway show during New York's Lingerie Fashion Week may have changed how expecting mothers look at lingerie for good.

Featuring heavily pregnant models wearing six-inch pink stilettos, You! Lingerie produced a show-stopping collection specifically with fashionista moms in mind.



Colorful and quirky: Featuring heavily pregnant models wearing six-inch pink stilettos, You! Lingerie produced a runway show specifically with fashionista moms in mind

Colorful bras and underwear featuring decorative bows, nursing clips and cotton lining were modeled by women from Expecting Models Inc., an agency that represents pregnant professional talents.

The visibly surprised front-row were given the opportunity to see for themselves how functionality, support and comfort don't necessarily need to compromise on style or quality.

'No expecting or breastfeeding mom ever has to wear frumpy lingerie or break the bank to feel and look sexy,' You! Lingerie founder and CEO, Uyo Okebie-Eichelberger, said in a statement.




Fashion forward: Colorful bras and underwear featuring decorative bows, nursing clips and cotton lining were modeled by women from Expecting Models Inc., an agency that represents pregnant professional talents





Attention-to-detail: 'No expecting or breastfeeding mom ever has to wear frumpy lingerie or break the bank to feel and look sexy,' said You! Lingerie founder and CEO, Uyo Okebie-Eichelberger

'Beautiful maternity lingerie no longer needs to be a dream, in fact, we demand for it to be a necessity. That was always the goal. This is where we come in!'

Lingerie Fashion Week held its spring/summer 2014 festivities between August 1st and 3rd in New York.

Aside from a designer who created garments with 24-karat gold thread, You! Lingerie's maternity collection piqued both curiosity and guilty glances.



Confident and comfortable: The visibly surprised front-row were given the opportunity to see for themselves how functionality, support and comfort don't necessarily need to compromise on style or quality





Successful publicity: You! Lingerie's maternity collection piqued both curiosity and guilty glances Lingerie Fashion Week

'We are excited to take part in this incredible showcase,' said Ms Okebie-Eichelberger.

'We have worked really hard, so we are very proud to flaunt our gorgeous maternity and nursing products on the catwalk and Lingerie Fashion Week is an impeccable avenue to do that.'





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VIDEO: Edo state teacher,who has spent over 20 years in the teaching profession FAILS to read affidavit!

Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomhole yesterday nabbed a teacher Mrs. Augusta Odemwigwe who could not read properly.
Check out the hilarious moment when Mrs Odemwigwe was asked to read an affidavit she swore to declare her age but to the amusement of all, she stuttered continuously until the governor helped in reading it for her.

The teacher when asked to repeat a sentence she didn't read well answered "make I start am again".

Oshiomhole, stunned by the low level of intellect displayed by Odemwigwe, who has spent 20 years in the profession, read the sworn affidavit and wondered if she could write same on the board.

Mrs Odemwigwe has spent over 20 years in the teaching profession and presently teaches in Asalogun Primary School in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo state.

The governor discovered this during an exercise to screen over a thousand teachers involved in fraud. The teachers are accused of falsifying their age to get into service.

*But seriously, this issue has to be looked into as the standard of education in Nigeria is ridiculous. Nowadays, university graduates in Nigeria cannot be compared to standard 6 certificate holders in the 60s and 70s. There should be a total reform in the system of education in Nigeria.

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Lifestraw: Straw that lets you drink unclean water safely....even toilet water!

• LifeStraw is portable water filter developed in Denmark
• Enabling millions of people in Third World do drink unclean water safely
• Removes 99.99% of water-borne bacteria
• Now being sold on Firebox for £29.99

It's the bane of every hiker's life: what to do when you run out of water.

Is it safe to drink from the nearby stream? Would you risk sipping from that pond over there? Is your level of thirst greater than your willingness to spend the next four days doubled over in the bathroom? Why didn't I just pack my Brita water filter?

But now there's an answer: a straw-shaped portable water filter that enables you to drink safely from any body of water - even from a puddle. Or, in fact, from a toilet.

Scroll down for video






Would you drink from your toilet? Now you can, thanks to the LifeStraw, available for £29.99 on Firebox, that makes sipping from lakes, ponds and puddles safe



The LifeStraw was developed in Denmark in 2005 and hopes to save millions of people in Third World countries where a child dies every 15 seconds as a result of drinking dirty water

Now available to buy online via Firebox, the 22cm-long LifeStraw was originally developed by Danish manufacturers in 2005 as a solution to the devastating problem of unsafe drinking water in the Third World, where one child dies every 15 seconds as a result of drinking dirty water.



That year it was named Best Invention of 2005 by Time Magazine and Invention of the Century by Gizmag, and in 2006 it was heralded by the New York Times as 'a water purifier that could save lives'. Forbes Magazine called it 'one of the ten things that will change the way we live'.

The straw's powerful purification pipe removes 99.9999 per cent of water-borne bacteria plus many other parasites, including E-coli, campylobacter, vibrio cholerae, pseudomonas aeruginosa, shigella and salmonella.

And it will safely filter at least 1000 litres of water. (There are only about 13 in your toilet cistern, so plenty to go around.)



The Lifestraw portable water filter demonstration

The portable LifeStraw kills 99.99 per cent of bacteria and filters at least 1000 litres of water in its lifetime





Families in a developing parts of rural Africa use the LifeStraw to filter water and make it safe to drink

'Diarrhoea kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined': How the LifeStraw hopes to save millions of lives




Safe drinking water by numbers

'An estimated 884 million people in the world, 37 per cent of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa, still use unimproved sources of drinking water.

'Lack of access to safe drinking water contributes to the staggering burden of diarrhoeal diseases worldwide, particularly affecting the young, the immunocompromised and the poor. Nearly one in five child deaths - about 1.5 million each year - is due to diarrhoea. Diarrhoea kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined .

'In many rural and urban areas of the developing world, household water-quality interventions can reduce diarrhoea morbidity by more than 40 per cent. Treating water in the home offers the
opportunity for significant health gains at potentially dramatic cost savings over conventional improvement in water supplies, such as piped water connections to households.

'Water filters have been shown to be the most effective interventions amongst all point-of-use water
treatment methods for reducing diarrhoeal diseases.

'The Cochrane review demonstrates that it is not enough to treat water at the point-of-source; it must also be made safe at the point-of-consumption. LifeStraw® and LifeStraw® Family are both point-of-use water interventions – truly unique offerings from Vestergaard Frandsen that address the concern for affordably obtaining safe drinking water at home and outside.

'These complementary safe water tools have the potential to accelerate progress towards the MDG target of providing access to safe drinking water, which would yield health and economic benefits; thus contributing to the achievement of other MDGs like poverty reduction, childhood survival, school attendance, gender equality and environment sustainability.'

From LifeStraw.org.uk


Read more:
Buy the LifeStraw for £29.99 here
Learn more about the LifeStraw here

Bizarre invention for the lonely.... How about a foam pillow shaped like a woman's lap!

Gift shop wizards in Japan have found the perfect solution for tired travellers - a foam pillow shaped like a woman's lap.

They can be bought at duty free shops in Tokyo and Narita International airports.
As well as being soothing for men, it is also a popular joke gift for travellers to bring home for their friends.

Made to replicate the sensation a child would have resting their head on their mother’s lap, the pillow is said to offer similar comfort to men during stressful times - or when simply missing their mother.




Th foam pillow shaped like a woman's lap can be purchased in Narita International airport's duty free shops

Also sold on Japan Trend Shop, the comfy accessory is described in the blurb with the words: 'soft and elastic to the touch, and perfectly suited to lying your head on. You’ll be surprised at how comfortable and real it feels!'

Kneeling 'in Japanese-style', the Hizamakura Lap Pillow recreates the warm and comfortable sensation of laying your head on a woman's lap, be it mother or partner.

Made of polyurethane the cushion is clothed in a polyester skirt that comes in either black or red.

It is not the only comforting pillow to hit the market either. A few months ago Femail reported on the man-shaped Boyfriend Pillow, on sale to comfort all single women.

It is only fair that now the men get one too.

Guys, would you buy this pillow?






Hizamakura is soft and elastic to the touch, and perfectly suited to lying your head on



The 'comforting' object is made to replicate the sensation of resting you head on your mother's lap





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