Facebook and other social networks have given users a whole new set of ways to keep in touch with the people most important to us; but sometimes, all that interconnectivity isn’t all that great for us. Research shows that one in every three people who use social networks gets jealous or envious of some of the friends they read about. Reading about the happy lives of all those happy people can just get on people’s nerves. Vacation photos are particularly bothersome for some; it seems that some folks loitering on Facebook don’t really want to see how happy you are during your latest vacation to Maui. Another study, this one from German researchers, found that the more time someone spends on Facebook, the more likely he or she will feel bad about their own lives. (Fox News)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.