Australians are beginning to turn on Facebook, with an increasing number of users rejecting the culture of "narcissism and self-absorption" they say it promotes, according to the latest snapshot of the nation's mind and mood.

They are also more pessimistic about the future, increasingly worried about their job security and scathing in their criticism of the Gillard government - but unsure whether a change to Tony Abbott's Coalition would make any difference.

They are also more cynical about sport, seeing it as more about mass-market entertainment than sportsmanship or athleticism and more aware that depression was "a real issue for men".

The six-monthly Ipsos Mackay Report, obtained by Fairfax Media, paints a bleak picture of consumer sentiment, with about 95 participants in 16 focus group discussions saying they feel the same or worse than they did 12 months ago - and fear what will happen when the mining boom ends.

But while some fear the middle class could be squeezed "out of existence", there is also a recognition that negative sentiment, rather than reality, is driving the national mood.

One participant compared the global economy to a hospital, saying: "Europe's on life support, the US is in the general ward and Australia is in the ward for hypochondriacs."

Rebecca Huntley, the executive director of Ipsos Australia, said she was struck by the general dislike for Julia Gillard and her government - especially the hostility of some women - but also by the antipathy for Mr Abbott. But she said the newest trend was the emergence of a less enthusiastic, more critical take on Facebook, after years of positive talk about the wonders of social media.

"A key complaint amongst some was the culture of narcissism and self-absorption that appeared to be rife on Facebook," the report says.

Facebook users also complained that the constant flow of status updates is becoming "time-consuming and tiring", with some saying they wanted to close their Facebook accounts but felt they had no choice but to remain a user if they wanted to stay in touch with friends.

"Participants also felt that much of what others posted on Facebook was either trivial or obsessively repetitive ... and that the boundaries between what is public and what is private have blurred," the report says.

The report did find support for Facebook, with some frustrated consumers reported taking to social media to put pressure on brands and companies to adequately address their complaints. "Others discovered the power of Facebook to build their own businesses."

Some participants felt that Facebook was blurring the boundaries between the public and the private, with young people, in particular, concerned that current and potential employers would use Facebook to catch them behaving badly or faking sickies.

"Bullying and a general lack of civility on social media also worried some participants," the report says.

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