Most of you undoubtedly remember vividly when
people spoke fondly about their intention to “curl up with a good
book.” That volitional media use was firmly associated with positive
emotion. The prospective reader expected a leisurely, relaxed
experience. After reading, one would be better prepared to move
forward, whether that meant going to bed or tackling a project.
Today, many people volitionally read as little
as possible. Rather than pick up a book, when having free time, they are inclined to grab a
smart phone or computer. And when they do, they devote much of that electronic media time to social media. Accordingly, psychologists
have investigated whether self-selected volitional social media activity
promotes or impairs emotional well-being. Since Facebook is the
social media gold standard, it overwhelmingly has been the focus of most
relevant research. So, let’s consider two recent studies.
Yuen and colleagues (2018) wanted to know how
Facebook engagement influenced the mood of early adults. To do so,
they selected 312 undergraduates, randomly assigning them to one of four
20-minute on-line activities. During the first phase, some browsed
the Internet, some passively browsed other people’s Facebook profiles, some
actively produced Facebook messages or posts to communicate with someone, and
some updated their own Facebook profile. During the second phase,
all filled-out questionnaires designed to assess their overall mood, the extent
of their envy, and the amount of meaningfulness they ascribed to the time they
had spent online. After analyzing the data, the psychologists
concluded that, when compared with mere Internet browsing, engagement with
Facebook worsened their subjects’ moods. Moreover, passive Facebook
browsing had the most deleterious effect.
Passive Facebook browsing also was a central
focus of Scherr, et al. (2018). That research specifically looked at
how depression affected an individual’s predilection toward “surveillance,”
meaning browsing a friend’s Facebook postings on occasions, and not
leaving any indication of having done so. The research considered the
browser’s emotional status on two occasions, with a one-year separation between
the two. The data suggested that, on both occasions,
depressed persons performed more surveillance and evidenced more envy than did
their non-depressed peers. Greater envy, also, was associated with increased Facebook
surveillance.
The two aforementioned studies did not tell us
whether social media was the cause or the effect of emotion. However, both suggested that Facebook use with
little or no interpersonal interaction was associated with negative affect. Passive Facebook browsing was associated with
more dysphoric mood. And surveillance
Facebook browsing was associated with more envy.
Social comparison theory posits that people
regularly compare themselves with others, a kind of interpersonal score-keeping. Sometimes the comparison is downward, leading
us reassuringly to conclude that we are better off than those with whom we are comparing ourselves. Other times, the comparison is upward, meaning
that we look at another and dishearteningly conclude that she/he is better off than
we. The more time we spend on Facebook,
the more we reinforce an external social comparison attitude, and the more emotionally
influential that attitude becomes. When
Facebook becomes the major determinant of our emotions, we have become a pawn
in the social game of life. When you have free time, do yourself a favor: read a book, talk to a friend, visit a loved one, or find some other positive, engrossing activity to fill the void. Rather than comparing yourself to others, compare your current self with the self toward which you aspire.
References:
Scherr, S., Toma, C. L., & Schuster, B.
(2018). Depression as a predictor of Facebook surveillance and envy:
Longitudinal evidence from a cross-lagged panel study in Germany. Journal
of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications. Advance
online publication.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000247
Yuen, E. K., Koterba, E. A., Stasio, M. J.,
Patrick, R. B., Gangi, C., Ash, P., . . . Mansour, B. (2018). The effects of
Facebook on mood in emerging adults. Psychology of Popular Media
Culture. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000178
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