SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE PROBLEM (AND THE SOLUTION)

Lauren Wagner < September 22 2011 >

Social relationships are one of the most well-documented factors influencing physical and mental health

- Lowered levels of distress- Increased feelings of security and self worth- Heightened sense of belonging- Source of regulation for maintaining healthy

behaviors- Enhanced social participation and

commitment to community

Online social networks are designed to forge and maintain social relations between people.

72% of Internet users utilize online social networks

1.7 billion people are a member of at least one online social network

Online networks create social ties between people

Social ties are known to impact

well-being

Online social network use affects the

well-being of average users

Why should we care about the health of the “healthy”?

“Transient happy moods lead people to seek out others and engage with the environment, to be more venturesome, more open, and more sensitive to their individuals.”

What do we know?

Internet Healthhappiness

loneliness

perceived social support

companionship depression

small acts of kindness

But findings are inconclusive and conflicted. Results are specific to the type of online environment

under consideration (i.e. Facebook, chat sessions, online support groups, etc.)

Human connectedness is a function of perceived social support and companionship.

The power of perception.

“Humans are such meaning-making creatures that we perceive social

relationships where no objectifiable relationship exists (e.g., between

author and reader, between an individual and God) or where no reciprocity is

possible (e.g., in parasocial relationships with television characters).”

“Conversely, we perceive social isolation when social

opportunities and relationships do exist but we lack the capacity to

harness the power of social connectedness in everyday

life.”

theory of perceived

companionship

Hypotheses

1. A reciprocal online interaction has the potential to improve user well-being

2. A potentially reciprocal online interaction has the ability to improve user well-being

Subject tweets

Another user

acknowledges tweet

Subject experiences a boost in well-being

Individual perceives that they are supported

Twitter Survey Overview

I. User perception of their Twitter community– What is the relationship between Twitter users

and their contacts?

II. Expectations and hopes for Twitter interactions

III. Explicit reactions to Twitter interactions

I. User perception of their Twitter community

Respondents’ relationship to Twitter contacts:

Out of the contacts they interact with on Twitter, most respondents do not know these people personally

Do not consider contacts to be part of their close personal community

Do not consider Twitter interactions to be personal

Perceived closeness of relationship to Twitter contacts:

Report that they share many interests with their Twitter contacts

Would feel concern if a contact tweeted that they were having a problem

Implications: Subjects perceive Twitter contacts to be similar to themselves even though they do not know one another; respondents would feel concern for purported strangers if they were having a problem

II. Expectations and hopes for Twitter interactions

Expectations for Twitter interactions:

Respondents do not care if another user acknowledges their tweet

Do not expect another user to acknowledge their tweet

Hopes for Twitter interactions:

When the respondent tweets, he hopes for a response from another user

Comforted by the fact that someone on Twitter might acknowledge their contribution to the network

Implications: Feeling comforted and supported improves well-being

III. Explicit reactions to Twitter interactions

• Gaining a follower, receiving a reply, and being retweeted made people feel more:– Recognized (85%)– Connected (85%)– Appreciated (70%)

Responses were higher for receiving a reply and being retweeted than gaining a follower

III. Explicit reactions to Twitter interactions

Users reported that Twitter:• Increases feelings of connectedness (62%)• Is considered an outlet to express ideas

(68%)• Interactions are a source of stimulation

and rewarding (68%)

III. Explicit reactions to Twitter interactions

Boosts in well-being:- Most users do not feel a boost in well-being when

they tweet- When a tweet is acknowledged by another user,

64% report a boost in well-being

Implications: It is the interaction between strangers that boosts well-being

Exploring the Theory of Perceived Companionship

• Health benefits resulting from interactions with one’s Twitter network are based off of individual perception– Subject believes another user has deciphered their tweet and

deemed it relevant, which may or may not be accurate– Subject perceives Twitter network to be similar to themselves,

which may or may not be accurate– A lack of contextual cues forces users to “fill in the spaces”;

research shows that online, people are inclined to create positive views of one another and develop exaggerated impressions of conversation partners

The online environment may be manipulated so that average users perceive activities to be supportive or companionate even if they are not intended as such

Social Media // Force for Good

“Our biggest problems have no technological solution. We have come through the industrial age, the information age. Now we need to prepare ourselves for what I call the human engineering age and address the relationships which enable societies to work” (Herbert, 2011)

Thank you.

@typewriters