Apparently, Facebook makes people happy. No, seriously. We now have proof.

A new study reported in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal, actually dug into the physiological responses to people who visit social networking sites.

Measurements of physical and psychological responses such as breathing rate, brain activation, and pupil dilation, designed to assess a person’s psychophysiological state, were collected in a group of individuals participating in either a relaxing or stressful task or being online on their own personal Facebook account. The results revealed a significantly different experience for stress or relaxation exposure compared to the response to Facebook.

The journal featured several articles on such topics as:

Pleasure to Play, Arousal to Stay: The Effect of Player Emotions on Digital Game Preferences and Playing Time

A Review of Internet Pornography Use Research: Methodology and Content from the Past 10 Years

It Is All About Being Popular: The Effects of Need for Popularity on Social Network Site Use