If you’ve ever experienced a case of the sads while scrolling through social media, you’re not alone. There’s the FOMO we all experience on Instagram searching a party hashtag we weren’t invited to. Pinterest makes you lament your subpar DIY skills. And you can’t scroll through Facebook without seeing an engagement, wedding or pregnancy photo. Snapchat emerges as the happiest social media platform of the four because instead of making you feel left out or inadequate, it celebrates the mundane aspects of everyday life that we all can relate to. If you’ve ever Snapchatted while waiting in the doctor’s office or watching TV on the couch, you know exactly what we mean. Now, there’s scientific evidence to back it up.
A recent study at the University of Michigan kept track of how 154 smartphone-using college students felt at various times during the day over a two-week period. The process, called “experience sampling,” required students to answer questions via text message like, “How negative or positive do you feel right now?” or “How pleasant or unpleasant was your most recent interaction?” After analyzing their findings, researchers discovered students were happiest on Snapchat. As the study’s lead author, Dr. Joseph Bayer, explained, “Since Facebook has become a space for sharing crafted big moments such as babies, graduations, and birthdays, Snapchat seems to provide users with a distinct space for sharing the small moments” that are “more likely to make you feel understood than make you feel alienated.”
The next time your friend complains about your incessant Snapchatting, like Tyga did poor Kylie, tell them you just needed a little pick-me-up. They wouldn’t want to get in the way of your happiness, right?
[via Stylecaster]
