Don't Worry, Be Unhappy

Nowadays, there is a weird pressure to be cheery all the time (insert smiley-face emoji). Here’s why you should own your sucky feelings.

- Jessica Cassity

Facebook recently took major flak for letting phony news stories slide—but most of your friends’ feeds are probably just as bogus. Bursting with love, job wins, and best-time ever group photos, social media is a happy place. And by happy, we mean really happy—on purpose. Chances are, you too get pulled into this online ruse: “Presenting yourself as upbeat to others is a way of subconsciously elevating your social standing,” says psychologist Randy Paterson, PhD, author of How to Be Miserable: 40 Strategies You Already Use. “It also helps you protect yourself from people who could judge you as a downer.”