Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being

Mackson, Samantha B.; Brochu, Paula M.; Schneider, Barry A.

doi:10.1177/1461444819840021

Cited by 81 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…These SNSs have different properties which may influence how they are related to loneliness, with Instagram used to follow people not known offline as well as friends, and WhatsApp used to create more private groups (Pittman & Reich, 2016). Future research could examine how the network properties of these different types of SNSs are associated with loneliness (Mackson et al, 2019;Yang, 2016) and adjustment to University (Yang & Lee, 2020). More broadly, our study is limited by the sample it used (Henrich et al, 2010;Pollet & Saxton, 2019;Simons et al, 2017), and the degree to which our findings would generalize beyond student samples in a Western context is unclear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness is negatively related to Facebook network size, but not related to Facebook network structure

Brown¹,

Roberts²,

Pollet³

2021

Cyberpsychology

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High levels of loneliness are associated with poorer outcomes for physical and mental health and a large body of research has examined how using social media sites such as Facebook is associated with loneliness. Time spent on Facebook tends to be associated with higher levels of loneliness, whereas a larger number of Facebook Friends and more active use of Facebook tends to be associated with lower levels of loneliness. However, whilst the network size and structure of ‘offline’ networks have been associated with loneliness, how the network structure on Facebook is associated with loneliness is still unclear. In this study, participants used the Getnet app to directly extract information on network size (number of Facebook Friends), density, number of clusters in the network, and average path length from their Facebook networks, and completed the 20-item UCLA Loneliness questionnaire. In total, 107 participants (36 men, 71 women, Mage = 20.6, SDage = 2.7) took part in the study. Participants with a larger network size reported significantly lower feelings of loneliness. In contrast, network density, number of clusters, and average path length were not significantly related to loneliness. These results suggest that whilst having a larger Facebook network is related to feelings of social connection to others, the structure of the Facebook network may be a less important determinant of loneliness than other factors such as active or passive use of Facebook and individual characteristics of Facebook users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness is negatively related to Facebook network size, but not related to Facebook network structure

Brown¹,

Roberts²,

Pollet³

2021

Cyberpsychology

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“…Thus, peer groups influence adolescents' behavior (Global Kids Online 2019;Haddon 2013). In regard to negative influences, SNS pose risks to adolescents' wellbeing, i. e., the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO, see Przybylski et al 2013) and so does the peer group (Mackson, Brochu, and Schneider 2019). These arguments in mind, we argue that pressure in the context of SNS might originate from the peers as adolescents might perceive pressure to align their needs with peer expectations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…11-to 16-year-olds responded with «cyber bullying,» «seeing stuff you don't want to see, like porn,» «making you feel envious of others,» «strangers,» and «it puts you under pressure to make your life out to be amazing» (Lilley, Ball, and Vernon 2014, 11) when asked about the downsides of SNS. What becomes obvious is the risk of experiencing «upsetting and potentially harmful content and practices» (Swist et al 2015, 68) which have been shown to be associated with decreased self-efficacy, happiness, and satisfaction with life, and increased depression and loneliness (Mackson, Brochu, and Schneider 2019;Santarossa and Woodruff 2017).…”

Section: Adolescents' Use Of Instagrammentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stressed, but connected

2021

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Among social network sites (SNS), Instagram has become one of the most important platforms for adolescents (age 10–19 years), especially in Germany. They use it to share experiences and meaningful content and above all, to interact with their peers. Norms, defined by the peer group, influence adolescents’ behavior, online as much as offline. This influence on aligning one’s needs with expectations in the SNS environment leads to pressure. How adolescents perceive this pressure from their peer group in detail on Instagram and how they cope with it has seldom been the focus of qualitative research within communication studies thus far. What patterns and potential coping strategies become apparent in adolescents’ behavior? Do these strategies tend to be problem-solving or avoidant oriented? This paper addresses this need and uses in-depth interviews, drawn via purposive sampling, with 30 adolescents to investigate the strategies adolescents develop to cope with perceived forms of peer pressure. Results show that the peer group has both positive and negative effects on adolescents. Positive in that they are an important reference for adolescents, an effect, that is enhanced by Instagram, which allows interpersonal connections with peers. Then again negative in that adolescents, among other things, feel pressure to communicate with the group and to follow its aesthetic ideals at Instagram in order not to be excluded from the group or otherwise sanctioned. In order to deal with this perceived peer pressure, adolescents develop both active (problem-solving oriented) and avoidant coping strategies, including designing their own media environment according to their needs, supporting each other, and encouraging each other in their own actions. In these coping strategies, the peer group can again have positive or negative impacts. Positive, e.g., as adolescents can share their experiences; negative, e.g., as adolescents might obey the group norms disregarding their personal interests. The findings thus highlight the need to support adolescents in coping with these forms of peer pressure. To be able to act and counter the perceived pressure, adolescents need motivational, emotional, and reflexive skills that can be promoted through media literacy programs.

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“…It is evident that following other parents and their domestic self-presentations online makes Raisa feel vulnerable. Scholars have suggested that social media triggers social comparison that causes users to relate other people's perceived achievements to those of their own, and to believe that others have it better (Lee, 2014;Mackson et al, 2019Mackson et al, : 2164Vannucci et al, 2017). The social context of mothering can amplify such networked sensibility.…”

Section: Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘I feel the irritation and frustration all over the body’ Affective ambiguities in networked parenting culture

Lehto

Paasonen

2021

International Journal of Cultural Studies

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This article investigates the affective power of social media by analysing everyday encounters with parenting content among mothers. Drawing on data composed of diaries of social media use and follow-up interviews with six women, we ask how our study participants make sense of their experiences of parenting content and the affective intensities connected to it. Despite the negativity involved in reading and participating in parenting discussions, the participants find themselves wanting to maintain the very connections that irritate them, or even evoke a sense of failure, as these also yield pleasure, joy and recognition. We suggest that the ambiguities addressed in our research data speak of something broader than the specific experiences of the women in question. We argue that they point to the necessity of focusing on, and working through affective ambiguity in social media research in order to gain fuller understanding the complex appeal of platforms and exchanges.

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Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being

Cited by 81 publications

References 44 publications

Loneliness is negatively related to Facebook network size, but not related to Facebook network structure

Loneliness is negatively related to Facebook network size, but not related to Facebook network structure

Stressed, but connected

‘I feel the irritation and frustration all over the body’ Affective ambiguities in networked parenting culture

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