(Image source from: Study says)

According to a study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, Facebook can both increase and regulate the levels of stress hormone ‘cortisol’ in teens

A new study carried out by University of Montreal, Canada, researchers indicate that teenagers with over 300 Facebook friends increase the cortisol levels. In contrast, in teenagers using Facebook to support Facebook friends by their acts like liking their posts, sharing warm messages decreased levels of the stress hormone are observed, reported Techvibes.com.

Sonia Lupien, a lead researcher professor, said, "While other important external factors are also responsible, we estimated that the isolated effect of Facebook on cortisol was around 8%.”

The study participants were asked about their Facebook use frequency, number of friends on social media, and their behavior on self-promotion as well as their supporting behavior towards their friends. The team also gathered cortisol samples of the adolescents participating in the study.

Lupien added, "We were able to show that beyond 300 Facebook friends, adolescents showed higher cortisol levels." The report indicated that no adolescent, who participated in the study, suffered from depression during the period of the study.

Lupien said, "We did not observe depression in our participants. However, adolescents who present high stress hormone levels do not become depressed immediately. It can occur later on."

-Sumana