11/18 Social Media and Technology and Well-Being

Dr. Norton talk

amount doesn’t impact happiness $5 or $20

factors that contribute to job satisfaction

work tasks, work role, interpersonal treatment at work, pay level

work tasks

skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, task feedback (having all predicts higher well-being)

work roles

roles can become dsyfunctional. role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload (having all of these predict lower job satisfaction)

interpersonal treatment (pos)

social support, leader consideration, initating structure

interpersonal treatment (neg)

general abuse, abuse supervision

pay level

armount employee gets paid, ability to afford necessities and material comforts

social media

forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share info, ideas, personal messages, content

benefits of social media (network)

increases weak ties (keep in touch w summer camp, orientation), greater social network size associated with higher well-being (provides sense of self-worth, increased perception of social support), however too big of a network is harder to manage (empty connections, lonliness)

benefits of social media (presentation)

greater control over self-presentation, online self-presentation (asynchronous, editable, devoid of nonverbal cues like eye contact, physical appearences, can remain online for wide audience). In person self-presentation is spontaneous, fixed, nonverbal, fleeting and delivered to small audiences

two common forms of online self-presentation

positive and honest well-being (both relate to higher well-being)

positive self-presentation

reveal only socially desirable aspects of themselves (present yourself in a positive way), posting “puffed up” version of oneself can help ppl cope w neg or stressful situation threatening one’s self-worth (positive affirmations from each other, boost optimism and positive beliefs)

Honest self-presentation

users choose to present themselves honestly, including their negative features. Helps build intimacy via eliciting support (friends more likely to provide support in response to honest

self-disclosure and sincere requests for support)

Costs of Social Media (passive use/ social surveiliance)

browsing others’ profiles w/o actively posting or replying is associated with lower well-being. This is because others positive self-presentation can lower well-being for observers because there are feelings of not measuring up to others’ perfect lives (upward social comparison), increase in envy, brooding, social anxiety, and depression

Costs of Social Media (problematic use)

excessive/ uncontrolled use of social media (social media addiction), shares characteristics w other addicitions (craving, tolerance, withdrawal, other activites feel less enjoyable). Is linked to decreased academic motivation, decreased self- esteem, avoidance of in-person social interactions, depression, anxiety, and insomnia

digital detox example

1. taking daily breaks at certain times of the day (not going on your phone when you wake up, reduce screen time an hour before bed), 2. limiting mindless scrolling (time limit on app, identifying when you’re using social media to procrastinate, 3. resisting the pull of notifications (limit app notifications, using DND, checking apps at certain hrs of the day)

Hughes & Burke (2018)

tested whether restricting bedroom use of smartphones impacted individuals’ well-being bc digital media close to bedtime has shown to negatively impact quality and quantity of sleep, may impact cognitive functioning and performance the next day

Hughes & Burke (2018) method and results

49 participants in experimental group (required not to use phone in bedroom for one week), 46 participants in the control group. Examined pre and post differences in subjective happiness, quality of life, positive affect, smartphone addiction (inrease quality of life, happiness, and smartphone addiction); 94% of the experimental group said they “might” or “would” consider using this intervention moving forward; experimental group says changes they observed were improved sleep experience, reduced anxiety and improved well-being, improved relationship, less time-wasting and more focus on other things

Fitz et al (2019)

notifications involve visual cues and auditory signal, tested if batching notifications deliver notifications in predictable intervals throughout the day could improve psychological well-being. Notifications directly capture attention (important meetings, but can interrupt ongoing activitues), requires greater mental effort increasing cognitive load, interfere w flow/ prodcutivity

Fitz et al (2019) methods and results

participants randomly assigned frequency of their phone notifications, had to complete daily surveys that measured well-being, attention, FOMO. NO DIFFERENCES in control and batch hourly. Batching notifications three times a day improved well-being compared to control condition (lower inattention, higher concentration, felt more productive, higher positive and lower negative affect), but higher FOMO. The never receving notifications can backfire (higher FOMO, higher anxiety)

kushlev et al (2017)

How does reliance on technology or pervasive connectivity affect in-person social interactions, this was done when trying to solve an everyday problem of finding a campus building w OR without phone.

kushlev et al (2017) results:

Phone condition: 80% found the building without talking to anyone else; Phoneless condition: only 10% found the building without talking to anyone else. participants in phone condition self reported: An easier time finding the building, Lower trust in other people, Lower social connection to others, But not effect on their mood.

phones and social interaction

having phone can make out day-to-day lives easier (less difficulty finding where we need to go), but can reduce our social connection with others

Dwyer et al. (2018)

305 friends go w or w/o phone. Participants in the phone condition had lower enjoyment, higher distraction, higher distraction, higher boredom, lower-well-being

phubbing

the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention

how do phones time spent hurt our relationships

Expectancy violations (violates our expectations for approaciate behavior from others), Ostracism (feelings excluded threaten our need to belong and feelings of self-worth), attentional conflict (attention drawn away from the partner and increased distractions)

Parasocial relationships (PSRs)

socio-emotional connections with media figures, such as celebrities, influencers, or fictional characters (Perceived intimacy is not reciprocated); Social media has accelerated intensity of PSRs due to more frequent and vulnerable interaction; Women tend to report stronger PSRs than men

benefits of parasocial relationship

Companionship and community; Identity development (especially for marginalized identities); Reduced prejudice toward outgroup members

cons of parasocial relationship

Misinformation; Materialism; Promotion of unhealthy or unrealistic behaviors; Social comparison