Social Media

Question 1

Defining Social Media

Answer 1

• Digital tool which enables interac among ppl
• Share and exchange info in a virtual comm or network
• DIalogic transmission system (many sources, many recievers) compared to monologic (one source, many viewers)

Question 2

Why do we need social media?

Answer 2

Tech = adv at rapid rate
- S.M = big feature of daily lives

Question 3

Ofcom, 2021

Answer 3

• 82% of internet users in UK hav a social media profile
  4.2 bill ppl worldwide used s.m daily

Question 4

Dixon, 2023

Answer 4

Predicted to rise 6 bill by 2027
Global pop will be 8.3 bill

Question 5

Scott et al 2019

Answer 5

Estimates 20% of UK adol may use s.m for at least 5 hours every day

Question 6

Social media and society

Answer 6

• S.M has changed the way we socialise
• Presented opp to instantly share social info w large no of ppl

Question 7

Clark et al, 2018

Answer 7

These activities are elem to the basic human need for feeling social belonging and relatedness and avoiding lonliness and iso

Question 8

How has psychological research approached social media use?

Answer 8

• Complex
• Often approached from an ideological position of concern

Question 9

Kuss & Griffiths, 2017

Answer 9

Whether excessive use should be considered a distinct form of beh addiction and clinically treated as such

Question 10

Katz et al, 2001

Answer 10

• mirrors concerns that have existed around every new form of communication - technology a threat to more meaningful methods of interactions

Question 11

Excessive social media use = been linked w symptoms typically associated w …

Answer 11

substance abuse and beh addictions

Question 12

Lee-Won et al 2015 - excessive S.M use =

Answer 12

high lvl of anx

Question 13

Banyai et al 2017 - excessive S.M use =

Answer 13

Depressive symp

Question 14

How has psychological research approached social media use? - Zendle & Bowden-Jones 2019

Answer 14

S.M addiction = not currently recognised in either the diag and stat manual of m.d or international classification of diseases

Question 15

Primack et al 2017

Answer 15

PPts (n = 1787) who used more social media platforms reported higher dep and anx symp

Question 16

Twenge et al 2017

Answer 16

Adol social media use associated w mental health issues, like - dep (n = 500,000)

Question 17

S.M addiction - Griffiths et al, 2014

Answer 17

Ppl do report exp that mirror widely used criteria for estab addiction

For example:
1. Inability to reduce their use of social media despite wanting to
2. The exp of withdrawal symp when they = unable to access S.M

Question 18

S.M & Loneliness - Twenge et al 2021

Answer 18

• Data from cross sec of the U.S pop (monitoring the future)
• Running since 1976
• Looked at correlations between measures of in-person social interac w peers, loneliness and S.M use
  N = 8.2 mill, adol 13-18

Question 19

Social media & Loneliness 2 (Twenge et al, 2021)

Answer 19

Adol feelings of loneliness interested sharply 2011

Adol low in-person social interac & high in S.M use
reported the highest lvl of loneliness

@ the indiv lbl in-person social interac & S.M use = +vly correlated

Question 20

Ctritques of SM and Loneliness

Answer 20

Correlation not = causation
Too reliant on self rep measures
Lack of consideration of other potential variables

Question 21

Nuances

Answer 21

• More research = needed - an almost cliche

Question 22

New ways of thinking - Shaw et al 2022

Answer 22

Furthered this approach - meaningful interac = suggested to fostor +ve feelings, the passive consump of others’ feed = proposed to have -ve effects on nusers’ well being.

Question 23

Shaw et al - study

Answer 23

Created a mock social media site
Ppt were shown images & asked to act in same way as they would do another S.M platform (like, share,skip)

Question 24

Shaw et al - results

Answer 24

Identified three dissociable usage styles:
- passive use (consimong content posted by others)
- reactive use (reacting to others’ context)
- Interactive use (interacting w other through content
sharing)

Question 25

Ideas for the future

Answer 25

• The ‘slow speed’ of (good) research vs the rapid changes adn trend of s.m / tech
• Diff sites promote diff ways of engaing
  TikTok - Move towards video consump
  Insta - image based - more intimate
  Twitter - operates on text and emotional reactions
  (outrage, anger etc)