Psychology Undergraduate Research Symposium 2021

Follow Friends, One Hour a Day

Social media use is ubiquitous among young adults and empirical research is increasingly suggesting that how it is used, and how much time is spent using it have significant implications for psychological well-being. Previous research found that limiting, but not eliminating social media has beneficial effects (Hunt et al., 2018). Correlational findings suggest that following actual friends is beneficial, while following strangers can be harmful (Hunt et al., 2020). The current study sought to test the impact of limiting time spent on social media as well as “muting” strangers on Instagram in an experimental paradigm. We found that limiting social media use to 60 minutes per day (versus unlimited use) led to reductions in depression for the most distressed participants. Moreover, muting strangers on Instagram, in addition to limiting time, led to significant reductions in fear of missing out for the most distressed participants. Muting strangers also led to significant reductions in social comparison. The amount of time spent on social media and who you interact with both have an impact on well-being. 

PRESENTED BY
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
College of Arts & Sciences 2021
Advised By
Melissa Hunt
Associate Director of Clinical Training
PRESENTED BY
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
College of Arts & Sciences 2021
Advised By
Melissa Hunt
Associate Director of Clinical Training

Comments

April 30 | 4:49 PM : by cconn@upenn.edu

This is a fascinating project! Great job. Do you think your findings would differ at another point of the pandemic? Do you think particular social media platforms are more detrimental than others?

May 03 | 10:14 PM : by mplatt@upenn.edu

This is an interesting set of findings well-presented. I was a little bit unclear on how the "most distressed" individuals were selected for analysis and how many there were. Also do you think the process of muting strangers itself, rather than just limiting their presence in the social stream, was potentially important in the changes in social comparison, fomo, etc.?

Dr. Platt

May 05 | 3:49 PM : by flanagan@upenn.edu

I am inferring that there was no effect for students who are not "the most distressed."  Such data should also be presented.  I wonder if there is a dose response-- would limiting to 30 min a day or following only one's closest friends be even better?   The beauty here is that the intervention is free!

 

Best wishes,

Lori Flanagan-Cato