Stressed out? Your social media usage may be to blame.
A new Pew Research Center study found that Facebook stresses you out because it's the "cost of caring."
A team of researchers surveyed 1,801 adults in the U.S. over the age of 18 about their social media habits. The study was conducted from Aug. 7 through Sept. 16, 2013.
With the growth of social media, the study found that users are more aware of stressful events in the lives of people they know. Women are 13 percent more aware of the stressful events in the lives of their closest social ties, while men are eight percent more aware of their friend's stress.
These results show that if you see a friend post something stressful about their life online, it can, in turn, make you stressed.
Women have more social media-related stress because women report higher levels of stress to begin with and they are generally more aware of stressful events in the lives of their friends and family, according to the study.
Women's stress derived mostly from reading about the death of a child, partner or spouse. Men were mostly stressed over reading about someone close to them who had been accused or arrested for a crime.
"Awareness of stressful events in others' lives is a significant contributor to people's own stress. The number of undesirable events associated with stress is greater for women than for men," the researchers wrote in the study.
In some cases, this added stress can cause other health issues if not dealt with correctly.
When someone is stressed, their body responds as though they are in danger. Hormones can then speed up the heart, cause rapid breathing, and give a burst of energy, according to WebMD.
Sometimes stress can casue headaches, stomach pain, sleeping problems, illness, and depression if the person doesn't manage stress well.
