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HEALTH & FITNESS 2B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019 Report: Social media makes us less happy By Alfred Lubrano The Philadelphia Inquirer As 2019 recedes, it leaves behind a sobering legacy: Un- happiness continues to haunt Americans. Social media tends to drain joy from teenagers and adults, both by stoking anxieties about the “better” lives others seem to be lead- ing online and by robbing time we should be spending interacting with others in the real world. Meanwhile, broad issues such as opioid addiction and the pursuit of money contrib- ute to unhappiness. In March, the U.N. World Happiness Report set the tone on comprehending our plight, showing, through a complex formula, how happi- ness in the United States has dipped in recent years. Findings were based on numerous variables, such as economics, levels of po- litical corruption, and survey questions, including, “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends ... to help you?” Also, people were asked about feelings of enjoyment, worry, sadness and anger. On a scale of one to three, American happiness slipped from a high of 2.28 in the 1980s to recent score of 2.16, according to the U.N. report. The U.S. is slotted as only the 19th-happiest country in the world, just after Belgium and right above the Czech Repub- lic. The happiest is Finland; the least happy, No. 156, is South Sudan. In unrelated WalletHub reports measuring happiness, Hawaii ranked fi rst and West Virginia last. Among cities, No. 1 was Plano, Texas, while No. 182 was Detroit. One of the traits that hurts Americans most is their quest for more money when they al- ready have enough, said Jack- sonville, Florida, psychologist Gary Buffone. People in other countries say that once their basic needs are met, “any more money doesn’t help toward happiness,” Buffone said. “Excess can lead to unhappi- ness. Eating the extra piece of chocolate cake, looking for that high, doesn’t bring more happiness. “Happiness comes from having good relationships with people, and a sense of purpose in life.” Buffone cited a study showing that people making $75,000 a year won’t get any higher satisfaction from more money. Happiness is elusive, but you need to search it out, ac- cording to Quintelina Lewis, 77, of Boothwyn, Pennsyl- vania, who has endured her share of woes. “You have to fi nd it within yourself to push to be happy,” said Lewis, an endometrial cancer survivor and a widow who has raised and continues to live with her four grand- children, ages 18 to 21. The family lives on Social Security income and food stamps. “My house is a mess, I can’t keep up with what needs to be done, but I’ve always been upbeat, and I try to do the best I can with what I have,” she said. “I’ll get depressed sometimes, but I keep on truckin’.” As optimistic as Lewis is, however, she’ll allow that one thing gets to her more than anything else: Facebook. “Going online just adds to unhappiness,” she said. “Someone saying on Face- book they got new siding and windows on their house — I’d love that. But I can’t afford it.” Beyond the envy factor, Facebook presents sad stories people must somehow absorb, noted Burgandy Holiday, 41, a married Mount Airy thera- pist and mother of two. “They set us up for the worst humanity has to offer,” she said. “And Facebook has this feedback loop that plays the horrible things in the world, and it circles and circles among us. We’re over- consuming this content that drives down our happiness.” Life online proved diffi cult for Americans, especially teenagers. On average, 12th graders in the U.S. spent six hours a day online in 2017, according to the U.N. report. This meant spending less time interact- ing with friends, socializing, going to parties, and even sleeping. All that corresponds with growing teen unhappiness, the U.N. report concluded. Girls spending fi ve or more hours a day on social media are three times more likely to be depressed than nonusers. “Bullying also is a factor of the dark side of social media that increases kids’ sadness,” noted Barbara Becker Hol- stein, a Long Branch, Pennsyl- vania, psychologist who works with teenagers. “Kids are waiting for us adults to calm them down from the excesses of being online and give them feelings of purpose. Not everyone is sit- ting down together at dinner for 45 minutes, chatting and laughing.” To illustrate the problems teens face, Holstein shared a video of a 13-year-old girl named Alyssa (her last name is withheld to protect her privacy). “Cyberbullying,” Alyssa says in the video, “makes you keep all jumbled-up feelings inside and can ruin lives.” She speaks of a friend who was the victim of “horrible” false stories told about her on- line by former friends. When the girl responded online by saying, “I thought we’d be friends forever,” her tormen- tors retorted, “Stop talking to us, clown trash.” The girl cried. Beyond online complica- tions, American happiness is also being thwarted because we are a “mass addictions society,” according to the U.N. report. For complex reasons stem- ming from socioeconomic in- equality and growing anxiety, among other things, Ameri- cans are indulging in drugs, alcohol, and food, and are spending too much time shop- ping. They’re even exercising more than is healthy. Addictions “directly lower well-being ... (and) may also give rise to clinical depres- sion,” the report concluded. Statistics may bear out that somber diagnosis. Suicide in the U.S. increased 30% between 2000 and 2016; it was up 50% for girls and women in the same time frame, accord- ing to the American Psycho- logical Association. Perhaps as a result of people trying to self-medicate because of the unhappiness in their lives, experts say, drug overdose deaths increased by nearly 10% from 2016 to 2017 throughout America. Pennsyl- vania registered 44.3 deaths per 100,000, among the high- est rates, fi gures for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. As the opioid crisis has advanced, news reports have shown that many drug deaths are related to drug manufac- turers’ push for profi ts. While unhappiness persists, there may be ways to cope, said psychologist Mary Mercer of Las Vegas, an expert on optimism. “To be happy, what I advise people is to focus on their prob- lems as not being permanent, and being fi xable,” she said. “Optimistic people know this, and fi gure out ways to solve problems.” Further, she said, the happi- est people are those who don’t blame others for their diffi cul- ties. “Optimistic people take responsibility. It causes them to feel better. “In the end, you’re not doomed to being depressed.” Eastern Oregon Cancer Center at Pendleton Welcomes DR. JUNO CHOE ` Board Certified in Radiation Oncology ` Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine ` PhD in Molecular Biotechnology: University of Washington ` Radiation Oncology Residency: University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ` Area resident Soon, cancer patients in eastern Oregon will not have to travel out of town for state-of-the-art radiation treatments. The new Eastern Oregon Cancer Center at Pendleton will feature advanced technology that is equal to, or greater than, the technology offered in larger cities. Dr. Choe and his staff will be on site at Eastern Oregon Cancer Center every day, so that patients will not need to wait for an appointment. NOW SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 541-304-2264 BRINGING HOPE TO CANCER PATIENTS IN EASTERN OREGON 1701 SW 24th St. • Pendleton, OR 97801 PendletonCancer.com C LASSIFIEDS Published by The Observer & Baker City Herald - Serving Wallowa, Union and Baker Counties PLACING YOUR AD IS EASY...Union, Wallowa, and Baker Counties Phone La Grande - 541-963-3161 Baker City - 541-523-3673 On-Line: www.lagrandeobserver.com www.bakercityherald.com Email: Classifieds@lagrandeobserver.com Classifieds@bakercityherald.com Fax: La Grande - 541-963-3674 Baker City - 541-523-6426 UNION COUNTY AA MEETINGS LA GRANDE MONDAYS Primary Purpose Group 12 - 1:00pm 2620 Bearco Loop 110 Announcements SETTLER’S PARK ACTIVITIES 1st FRIDAY (every month) Ceramics with Donna 9:00am to Noon (prices starting at $3) SUNDAY Church Services 3:00pm MONDAY NIGHTS Nail Care 5:15pm (FREE) LAST TUESDAY (every month) Poker Night (FREE) 6:00pm WEDNESDAY Public Bingo, 1:30pm (.50 cents per card) EVERY MORNING (Monday - Friday) Exercise Class 9:30am (FREE) 110 Announcements 110 Announcements BINGO TUES & THURS.; 1:00 PM Community Connection 2810 Cedar, Baker City BINGO SETTLER’S PARK Baker City Wednesdays ~ 2:30 PM .25 cents per card Everyone invited! 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TUESDAYS Into Action Group 12 - 1:00 pm Presbyterian Church 1308 Washington Ave. (entry 6th & Spring St.) Surrender Group 7 - 8:00 pm 2620 Bearco Loop City of Elgin Greater Elgin Group 7- 8 :00 pm St. Mary's Catholic Church 93 S 12 St., Elgin WEDNESDAYS Primary Purpose Group 12 - 1:00 pm 2620 Bearco Loop Surrender Group 7 - 8:00 pm 2620 Bearco Loop Island City Soul Sister’s 5:30 p.m. 10801 Walton Rd. 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