New research explores the ways in which social media impacts your life
Nearly a billion people use social media to connect on a daily basis. As a result, social media platforms have recently garnered much attention in social science research. What are the implications of this new form of socialization? Author Katherine Thorson summarized ten recent scientific studies which highlight both the positive and negative ways Facebook impacts the lives of users:
- According to a study by Kross et al. (2013), the more young adults use Facebook the more their levels of subjective well-being and life satisfaction decrease over time.
- Burke et al. (2010) suggest that active participation in Facebook communication (e.g., wall posts, comments, and “liking”) may actually increase feelings of bonding and social capital, whereas passive observation of Facebook content leads to greater feelings of loneliness.
- Fernandez et al. (2012) indicate that traits such as social anxiety can be accurately identified by viewers based on the amount and type of information users list on their profiles.
- According to Buffardi and Campbell (2008), the more attractive an individual’s profile picture, the greater their number of friends, and the more wall posts they have, the more likely others will classify them as narcissistic.
- According to a study by Weisbuch et al. (2008), if you are liked on the basis of your online profile the more likely you will be liked in face-to-face interactions.
- Clerkin et al. (2013) suggest that seeking reassurance via Facebook (e.g., being disappointed when no one likes or comments on a status update) contributes to lowered self-esteem.
- According to a study by Forrest and Wood (2011), individuals with low self-esteem tend to post negative information on Facebook, which causes other people to dislike them more than individuals with high self-esteem.
- Chou and Edge (2012) suggest that spending time on Facebook can lead people to think that others are living happier and better lives. These social comparisons can contribute to self-dissatisfaction, especially when an individual compares themselves to a Facebook friend they have never met.
- An experiment on social influence (Bond et al., 2012) indicates that the behavior of Facebook friends significantly impacts our own behavior. Namely, on election day (11/2010) Facebook users who were shown a newsfeed post encouraging them to vote paired with pictures of their friends who voted were statistically significantly more likely to vote than individuals who were shown the newsfeed post alone.
- Lastly, Stieger et al. (2013) have found that individuals who deactivate their Facebook accounts struggle with internet addiction and privacy concerns.