Christmas and social networks: between comparison and loneliness

The Christmas dates are a melting pot of mixed feelings. In some people they cause a lesser sense of well-being, others experience a grieving process during Christmas, for most it is a time of expenses and increases consumption and, with the irruption of social networks, we live in a constant social comparison.

A study by the University of Göttingen (Germany) directed by Michael Mutz interviewed around 3,000 Europeans from countries with Christian roots about their feelings towards Christmas. The conclusion was that these dates generate negative feelings and have the feeling of being less satisfied with life. The worst time of Christmas depression is usually around the third week of December, a week before the celebrations.


However, there is a data for hope: the Generalized decrease in suicide rates during the Christmas festivities. In a study from the United Kingdom, Bergen and Hawton examined a sample of 20,000 subjects from 1976 to 2003 who presented self-injurious behaviors in an Oxford hospital. A significant reduction of 25% was observed between December 19 and December 26. In young people self-injurious behaviors even dropped by 60% at Christmas time.

In a 1999 Danish study, Jessen and Jensen examined suicide attempts during 24 years. They found a decrease in consummated suicides at Christmas time. In a Swiss study in 2003 Ajdacic-Gross and colleagues examined a sample of 35,000 suicides committed between the 70s, 80s and 90s. During the month of December, suicide rates fell by 10 percent compared to the rest of the year. .


Reasons for the increase in consumerism at Christmas

A barometer on the state of mind during the Christmas holidays carried out by the Valencian psychologist Enrique Moreno has revealed that one of the ways that people have to fight sadness and anxiety is filling that gap with material objects and doses of consumerism. It is one of the reasons among many others for the increase in consumption at Christmas.

The Spanish spent last year around 682 euros at Christmas, including gifts, meals, dinners or baskets, which is 4% more compared to 655 euros the previous year, according to the data of the 'Study of Christmas consumption 2016' . Of the countries analyzed, Spain is the second country that spends the most at Christmas, only behind Denmark (689 euros). Spaniards will spend 30 percent more than the European average, which stands at 517 euros.

According to Enrique Moreno, "many people use the acquisition of material goods as an antidepressant to combat these negative emotions." The purchase of an object or garment produces a discharge of dopamine in the brain that makes us feel that pleasant emotion for a while, the This mechanism is similar to that of addictions, although if we really want to solve the thoughts that are causing these emotions, we should consult a professional. "


One of the reasons for this state of sadness during Christmas can reside in the beings that have left us. Around 5% of Spanish society will experience a mourning process during Christmas. According to data from the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians, it is estimated that one in six people who lose a loved one develops a depression the following year, more than 15%.

Another type of loss of a loved one are divorces. According to their experience in helping married couples and families with problems, 25% of men secretly consider the possibility of breaking up with their partner at Christmas, and the first days of the year, after the Christmas holidays, are more prone to take the step Christmas and New Year act as catalysts.

Use of social networks at Christmas

The Valencian psychologist also ratifies the conclusions of a study from the University of Copenhagen, which warns that using social networks at Christmas, especially Facebook, decreases our mood and generates sadness.

According to Enrique Moreno, "the comparisons with the unrealistic lives of other users are what increase this feeling, which is why the researchers advise using Facebook as little as possible and, in case it is an impossible mission, to do it with a positive attitude wishing everyone happy holidays. "

Another conclusion of the barometer reflects that we are in a constant social comparison due to the rise of social networks. "We live in a society in which loneliness or boredom are almost demonized, at Christmas it seems almost intolerable and therefore the mood of many people is affected, we must learn to manage loneliness and boredom and there is no better way than working with a psychologist, "says Enrique Moreno.

"There are several reasons why Christmas has a certain capacity to cause sadness in our culture.The pressure and expenses of gifts, dinners, etc., the reduction of some activities due to bad weather, dinners with family members that we do not have much desire to see or disappointment when we see that the objectives we have set have not been met. year. All these factors can diminish our mood and can aggravate an existing psychological disorder ", explains Enrique Moreno.

Loneliness is accentuated at Christmas

The data scientifically highlights one of the most common beliefs of Christmas, that loneliness is not good at this time. In a Canadian study in 1999, Velamoor and his colleagues examined 55 patients who had been evaluated in the emergency psychiatric service during the Christmas season. The most common stressor was loneliness (40%) and absence of relatives (38%). The most repeated description in his mood was "depressive"

There is also an increase in substance abuse. Celebrations, lunches and company dinners provoke an increase in alcohol consumption that if not controlled in moderation can have fatal consequences.

In a 2002 study from Finland, Poikolainen et al examined all deaths due to alcohol poisoning over 17 years, about 6,000. A peak during the Christmas celebrations was observed in the study. In a similar study in Denmark, it was observed that Christmas was the festive season with the highest number of deaths due to alcohol intoxication, even surpassing mortality forecasts.

As a curiosity, a study carried out in Valencia and Alicante by Vidal-Infer and collaborators during the days 12 and 22 of December, to calibrate the consumption of alcohol and other substances in the company dinners, showed some very interesting results. Around 80% of respondents increase alcohol consumption during these dates and almost 10% admit to having tried drugs during this type of dinner.

Marina Berrio

Video: A CURE FOR LONELINESS (A life changing story)


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