Can Facebook make you feel better about yourself?

Another report of how online social media enables 'shallow' relationships.

Previous research as reported suggests that the use and reliance? on social media platforms such as Facebook can lead to shallow relationships.

Recent research revealed that young people had shown a 'significant' drop in empathy.

A recent study of Canadian university students suggests the heaviest users of Facebook are narcissists and people with low self-esteem.

The study of 100 students ranked participants based on levels of narcissism and self-esteem. It revealed that those who ranked high for narcissism almost universally spent more time logging into and updating their Facebook profile.

The study, which defines narcissism as "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration and an exaggerated sense of self-importance," seems common sense enough as Facebook is seemingly the perfect tool for bragging and showing off.

How students deemed to have low self-esteem used Facebook was more surprising.

According to the study published last month in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, respondents identified as having low self-esteem were also heavy users of Facebook.

Chicken and egg scenario, in that the attraction for shallow, narcissistic people would be social media platforms, and those who use such platforms are encouraged to banter about innane social matters, having shallow dialogues etc.

Another example of how technology 'atrophies' the deeper intuitive 'muscles' available to all.