Facebook and other forms of social media are great ways to keep connected with what’s going on in the lives of your friends and family. But have you ever stopped to think about how spending time on the social networking site is affecting you? Research from the U.S. and U.K. indicates that for some—and maybe for you—more time on Facebook correlates to worse body image and more negative feelings.The research team believes that the time whiled away on Facebook—nearly an hour and half each day, on average—encourages comparison, which leads to feeling bad about one’s own body, especially for college-age women. And for women who already fret about their weight, more time Facebooking intensified their focus on physical appearance including body shape, size and clothing.So if you want to feel better about yourself, then you should ditch social media altogether? Absolutely not. In fact, the Internet can be a fantastic way to bolster social support, which can play a big part in boosting your self-esteem high (think legalization-in-Colorado high). The key is getting the right kind of social support.Just like you wouldn’t pig out on nitrate-loaded bacon, deli meat and hotdogs—or would detox with a day of green juice and vegetables if you did—you should be mindful of your social media intake. Consider whether your digital diet could use a detox of its own. Focus on the good parts and limit the negative influences. Here are four things you can never get enough of:Support. A supportive network of friends is known to be a major factor in lowering depression and increasing self-esteem.Empathy. Meaningful conversations online with women who are also facing insecurities and challenges to their body image can be a powerful tool toward feeling more confident and fulfilled.Positive role models. Friends may have more of an impact on each other than they might realize. For instance, a 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people were 57 percent more likely to become obese if one of their friends did. Stay close with like-minded friends with healthy habits and goals to help you stay on track with yours.Inspiration. A healthy lifestyle promotes healthy body image. Follow people whose Facebook posts have positive messages that make you smile and inspire you to eat well, exercise, laugh and relax. (Check out YouBeauty’s Facebook page for these kinds of posts every day!)MORE: Take YouBeauty’s Self-Esteem Quiz

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