Good News Monday: Facebook is Actually Good for Your Real-Life Social Skills

I’ve heard them and you’ve heard them- the rumblings about Facebook ruining the way humans interact with each other- like that we're going to become happier commenting on someone's status update than actually talking to them or seeing them. Well, we can drop that line of paranoia.

The Pew Research Center says people who are active Facebook users actually have better real-life social skills. They have more close friends, trust those friends more, and are more politically engaged.

Researchers also found that active Facebook users report higher levels of emotional support and companionship than people who aren't on the site, a finding I COMPLETELY agree with because since my Dad was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, my Facebook friends have wrapped me in their love and support and although I’ve never met many of them, I feel like they’re my real life friends.

What’s even more interesting is that support from Facebook friends comes out to about 50% of the support you’d get from a spouse or live-in partner. So in other words, Facebook is the equivalent of having half a husband or wife.

[Pew Research]