As many as half of Facebook users are risking psychological damage from using the site to spy on ex lovers, according to new research.

Two of the most cited reasons for accessing Facebook are to keep in touch with others and to surreptitiously monitor them - with between a third and half of users using it to check up on ex-partners.

With close to a billion users, it means hundreds of millions may be finding it more difficult to get over a broken romance.

Psychologist Dr Tara Marshall said in the past, such spying and keeping tabs with what your ex was up to was challenging.
You could try and pry information from his or her friends, telephone, or drop by their place, but it was usually unlikely you would turn up much useful information.

This made it easy for people to distance themselves from the relationship and move on - an emotionally healthy breakup.

But as long as you remain 'friends' with your ex on Facebook, they are now able to keep up with everything you are doing.

While satisfying a certain curiosity factor, it seems likely that it would make it far more difficult to actually emotionally distance yourself from your past relationship.

In a survey of 464 participants, most of whom were undergraduate students, she found people who remain Facebook friends with an ex-partner will experience poorer breakup adjustment and personal growth relative to those who do not.

The findings suggest continued online exposure to an ex-romantic partner may inhibit post-breakup recovery.

Notably, frequent monitoring of an ex-partner's Facebook page and list of friends was associated with greater distress.

Dr Brenda Wiederhold, editor of Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking which published the research, added: "This study sees again virtual life mirroring real life.

"Just as real life contact with ex-partners may inhibit growth, healing, and well-being, so may virtual contact."
根据一项最新研究，有多达半数的Facebook用户使用该网站查看前情人的消息，这可能导致使用者的心理受创。

用户使用Facebook网站的两大原因是与他人保持联系与暗中关注他们，其中有三分之一到一半的用户登录Facebook查看前情人的消息。

Facebook网站有近十亿用户，这意味着有亿万用户因此更难度过情伤。

心理学家塔拉-马歇尔博士说，过去，像是暗中监视或者密切注意前情人这种事很难办到。

过去，你可以试着通过你或者前情人的朋友、电话，或者顺便拜访住处，探听前情人的消息，不过通常得不到太多有用信息。

这样人们更容易走出感情，开始新生活，是情感健康的分手方式。

不过，只要你与前情人还是Facebook“好友”，他们现在就能了解到你的动态。

这虽然满足了一些好奇心，实际上却可能让人更难走出过往恋情。

马歇尔在调查中发现，与前情人还是Facebook好友的受访者，其分手后的调整过程与个人成长， 不如不保持好友关系的受访者顺利。共有464名受访者参与调查，其中多数是大学生。

研究结果显示，在网上持续接触前任的信息可能有阻分手后的恢复。

值得一提的是，频繁关注前情人的Facebook主页和好友名单可能使人更加抑郁。

《网络心里学、行为与社交媒体》杂志的编辑布伦达-维德霍尔德补充说：“从研究可以看出，虚拟生活可以影射现实。”

“正如同与前任在现实生活中的接触会阻碍个人成长、痊愈，甚至让自己无法过得更好，网络上的接触也是一样。”