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Do you know someone who suffers from FJD? You know, Facebook Jealousy Disorder?
Here are some signs and symptoms of the Disorder:
- Envy of a college, “friend of a friend” who has a ginormous new engagement ring
- Judgement that your best friend’s sister just bought a McMansion
- Annoyance that your ex-boyfriend just got a huge promotion
- Frustration when your cousin announces that she just bought a new beach house
- Jealousy that your high school prom queen just married a pro-football player
- Hate towards your bitchy co-worker who just purchased a new BMW
And then comes the “rationalization” of your feelings because you’re, “worried” about them or their finances:
- Nobody needs a ring that big, I hope he didn’t spend the whole emergency fund on that
- They don’t even have kids, I hope they adopt several to fill up all those bedrooms.
- He’s probably sleeping with his boss to get ahead, what a sketch ball
- I wonder if the mortgage on their first home is paid for? Hope they aren’t in over their heads
- She’s not that cute, but good for her, if he’s into girls like that
- I hope her husband makes a lot of money, because they can’t afford that on her salary
I’m not too proud to admit that several years ago, I had Facebook Jealously Disorder. It got out of hand pretty quick and was really making me a nasty and hateful person. As I surfed my “friends’” pages I made snide little comments to myself and tried to justify my disdain based on a holier than thou personal finance stance (like I was some sort of financial beacon with 30k of student debt-lol). I was jealous of other people and their perceived success. Why? I’m not really sure? I’m not a jealous or hateful person by nature, I guess I just let social media get the best of me.
Today, I limit my personal facebook use and only check the profiles of people I’m close with and care about. It’s none of my business what people have or don’t have, and if I’m not close enough to the person to know that they bought a new house, I don’t need to know via facebook. I have everything that I could possibly want and I’m very thankful and grateful for that.
Did/Does Facebook Make You Jealous? Do You Compare Yourself to Peers/Friends Based on Their Profiles?
Student Debt Survivor has Facebook page (and I don’t post “I’m great, be jealous” material there!) Let’s be friends!
Image: Sean MacEntee