We all love being popular on social networking websites, but did you know that having lots of Facebook friends could be causing you an unnecessary amount of stress?

According to some new research from the University of Edinburgh, our likelihood of developing anxiety increases as the number of our social networking circles grows. Apparently having more ‘friends’ online means that there is a greater potential for us to cause offence, and subconsciously this plays on our minds causing us to feel anxious and stressed out.

Researchers discovered that stress levels rise when a person presents themselves in a way that is unacceptable to some of their online friends, like bosses or family members. This includes posts that are full of swearing, recklessness and pictures that show a person drinking or smoking.

Believe it or not 55 per cent of parents are friends with their children on Facebook, and worryingly, more than half of employers said that they decided not to hire a worker based on their Facebook page.

So it’s understandable why so many of us feel anxious about the information that is posted on our Facebook page.

Is your social network stressing you out?

“Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends where you can dance, drink and flirt. But now with your mum, dad and boss there, the party becomes an anxious event full of potential social landmines,” said Ben Marder, one of the authors of the report.

Researchers discovered that only one third of people use the privacy setting on their Facebook profile. This means that for the vast majority of us, anyone can see what goes on in our life – whether it be through tagged photos or comments left by friends.

Do you think that Facebook causes more stress than necessary?