Social Media and Well- Being. question is does social media affect our well- being, and if so how? I discovered

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1 Johnson 1 Casey Johnson Dr. Knight Emac 4372 December 16, 15 Social Media and Well- Being Like so much of the media, social networks are a central part of how we live. The history of the Internet plays a large role in how social media became integrated into our daily lives. We were not prepared for so much power all at once. My question is does social media affect our well- being, and if so how? I discovered multiple case studies relating to social media and happiness. With close reading and content analysis approaches, I discovered a correlation between social media and well- being. Today, people use the Internet to communicate with each other, but it was originally developed to let computers talk to one another. The 1960s were an important decade for the advancement of technology. The United States military developed ARPAnet (Advanced Research Project Agency Network). It was the first nationwide computer network, and was initially intended to provide information for academic researchers. It s growth truly expanded during the Cold War. In terms of technology the U.S. was falling behind the Soviet Union. In the long run, the invention of ARPAnet helped prevent a nuclear war between the U.S. and Soviet Union. ARPAnet expanded to more universities, other similar networks were formed. Each of these small networks worked well in their own dominion. The only

2 Johnson 2 issue was they could not communicate with networks outside of their own. Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf created a gateway that would serve as a translator for various incompatible networks. The individual networks would talk to the gateways using protocols known as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). The TCP controls how data is sent out to the Internet, while the IP provides the address for each computer on the Internet. Before the early 90s the Internet belonged to military personnel and universities. The Internet outgrew its military and research origins and became a public medium. By the late 90s people were amazed with the power of the Internet, and wanted to use it for non- academic purposes. They started buying access to network services such as Prodigy and AOL. This was the next generation Internet. Computers were able to move data ten times faster than before. Integrating video and interactive applications was the next step. By mid 2000s, students at medical schools were able to view complicated medical procedures with the new, faster network. What makes computer- based communication so powerful is it s incorporation of every communication level: interpersonal communication of e- mail and instant messaging to the mass communication of the World Wide Web. Before the 1900s, the definition of community differed from how we define it today. In the 90s community was made up of the people you interacted with every day. The growth of mass media steered our understanding of community in a different direction. People no longer need to be face- to- face with each other for interaction. Larry Tesler helped develop the idea of computer communities, and according to

3 Johnson 3 him The Internet is the first technology that lets us have many- to- many communication with anybody on the planet. In a sense, it s brought us back to something we lost thousands of years ago. I think the Internet s taken off so fast is that we always needed it. And we finally have it (Hanson, 267). Following the expansion of the Internet came social networks. Such online communities allow people to connect with others around the world. This is extremely beneficial because it allows people to connect with others who share their similar interests. On the Internet, traditional measures of individuals (age, sex, education, race, etc.) do not matter. People can create online identities for themselves that do not have to correspond with their actual identities. If practiced in an ethical manner this can give individuals a sense of belonging without feeling ashamed. In The Word Exchange books, newspapers, and libraries have become a thing of the past. Although the book is fiction, it can be assumed as non- fiction. Today most everything is accessible online. Students no longer need to go to the library to check out a book anymore. The library used to be place where students could relate on books they were checking out, but with the widespread use of the Internet such social happenings are rare. Is social networking going to be the new way we meet people? When we interact with people online we are physically alone, but mentally connected. With the increased use of social media sites are we adjusting to be alone, yet connected? Many people are quick to say that Facebook causes depression. Looking back on the psychological studies about Facebook and its effects on users, a few trends

4 Johnson 4 became apparent. Studies have a vague definition of what it means to use Facebook (Hamburger, 1). One study conducted by the University of Michigan compared the amount of hours college students used Facebook on a scale of hours on a weekly basis. The study concluded that the more students used Facebook the more their life satisfaction levels dropped. According to Dr. Kalpidou, spending a lot of time on Facebook relates to low self- esteem. This is because people tend to post their perfect self online and it s easy for viewers to compare themselves with an unobtainable version of another person. The one factor this study failed to do was ask subjects how they were using Facebook: browsing newsfeed, playing Farmville, chatting with friends, stalking their exes, etc. Such activities could extract different findings. Viral media is also a contributing factor in the effect of social media on mental health. People who are active on social media tend to come across more viral content shared by friends in comparison to those who are not. Passive Facebook users (newsfeed surfing with little to no communication with friends) are more likely to feel depressed than active Facebook users (those who post more frequently and interact with friends). So if people feel sad after using Facebook why do they continue to use it? As humans, we crave social acceptance. People continue to use Facebook so they can feel connected to their friends even if it means they experience moments of sadness. Another study examined the media usage of North American girls between the ages of These girls took an online survey that examined their social well- being and media use. The analysis suggested that negative social well- being was

5 Johnson 5 related to media use. Video use and media multitasking were the main factors associated with the girls negative emotional states. Texting, calling, and having a television in their rooms had seldom- direct association with well- being. Lastly, face- to- face communication was the strongest factor associated with positive well- being. The conclusion of this survey experiment surprised me in regards to video use and media multitasking causing negative emotional states. The video use was related to YouTube search habits. This relates back to the Facebook study and people posting their perfect self online. The media multitasking caused negative emotions because it is stressful for people of all ages to balance different social platforms. Another finding that surprised me was having a television in their room had little effect on the emotional well- being. Growing up in the 90s my parents refused to let me have a television in my room because they thought it would cause sleeping problems and low emotional states. In my opinion, this does not influence children these days since they have other mediums they prefer to use. Are these mediums helping them stay connected or hindering their social growth? Multiple researchers in Brazil conducted a similar study. They created a questionnaire and compared the media usage results of approximately 1,500 Brazilian adolescents, ages The results showed that information and communication technologies had an indirect influence on the adolescents well- being through their friends social support. The findings suggested that parents should conduct interventions that encourage children to engage in balanced type of activities, online and offline. Children will experience greater personal well- being if they practice balance.

6 Johnson 6 The current problem with social media and well- being is that people, children and adults, do not realize they are abusing social networks. These networks were initially created so people could communicate easier. Since it is such an easy luxury for most people to obtain they are abusing its power. Children growing up in the Digital Age are smarter than most other generations, but lack social skills. Most of them rely on communicating with each other online rather than in person. To solve this problem, I believe schools should require students to take media usage classes. The curriculum of these classes will teach students how to balance their online usage and engage with the real world. It is possible for people to become addicted to technology. Some people when deprived of their technology experience the same withdrawal symptoms of drug addicts. Four out of five students experience physical distress, panic, and isolation when forced to unplug for one day. That is unacceptable. People should not feel isolated when they are apart from technology. They should feel more connected with the real world. Do they feel alone because they are not connected with their social networks? Throughout this paper it is apparent that social media can cause negative emotions associated with depression. Isn t social networking supposed to make us feel connected with other people with similar interests? A study conducted by Coyne, Holmes, and McDaniel proved just that. In this experiment they interviewed 157 new mothers between the ages of The average time these mothers spent daily on the Internet was three hours. These first- time mothers felt stressed and alone in their transition to parenthood. However, when they referred to social networking sites they no longer felt alone. For example, mothers can share personal

7 Johnson 7 experiences on a blog or social network and receive feedback from other parents. This feedback reinforces social support and reduces mothers stress. The social support these moms received lead to better maternal health, relationship satisfaction, and child interaction. The correlation between social networking and the influence it has on happiness, in both children and adults, is simple. It begins with social sharing. Social sharing is defined as the act of communicating emotional events with others. People engage in social sharing when they experience emotions induced by an emotional event. Dealing with such emotions elicits two categories of psychological needs: personal expression and peer feedback (Choi and Toma, 1). With online social sharing comes media affordances. Media affordances are features of the media that are perceived by users to impact their ability to fulfill their goals and needs (Choi and Toma, 2). Social sharing and media affordances should work simultaneously to impact users ability to fulfill their needs for expression and feedback. We live in a fast paced world, which makes it difficult for people to stop and express their feelings. Is this why people rely on social media for communication? Do we get online so our feelings can be heard? Is this how we feel acceptance? There is no doubt about it that social media helps us feel more connected. However, if one does not properly practice social networking it will affect that individual s happiness. One thing that I noticed from these experiments was the age and duration of Internet usage of the subjects. The younger the subject the more time spent online. Today, teens spend about 7 hours online, and with the use of mobile phones that

8 Johnson 8 time has increased by an hour. Younger generations know how to use the Internet better than most people. In spite of this, they do not know how to properly balance their time online. They tend to use it for longer periods and aimlessly browse through newsfeeds and websites. There seems to be a relation to the amount of time one spends on the Internet and that individual s emotional health. Since the teenagers of today will be the future of the world, they need to be properly educated in finding a balance between their life online and off. Social and viral media go hand in hand. Without social media it would be extremely difficult for things to go viral. Social media generates a platform that makes it effortless for content to go viral. When an individual shares content online it s because said content moved that person in an emotional way. Whether it made that person feel happy, sad, angry, or surprised, he or she shared it because he or she wants other people to feel the same. Time and distance used to create barriers for communication. The practice of social networking has made interaction and communication easier than ever before. No generation has ever had this privilege. With the use of social media sites there are obvious pros and cons. It just depends how the user utilizes such networks. All in all, social media influences our emotional well- being. If used wisely one will feel social support rather than depression and isolation. Word Count: 2,144

9 Johnson 9 Bibliography Choi, Mina, and Catalina L. Toma. Computers in Human Behavior. Vol. 36. N.p.: ScienceDirect, Social Sharing Through Media: Patterns and Effects on Emotional Well- being. UTD Library. Web Graedon, Alena. The Word Exchange. New York: Anchor Books, Print. Hamburger, Ellis. "Facebook Isn't Making You Depressed, But the Internet Is." The Verge. VOX Media, 22 Aug Web. isnt- making- you- depressed- the- internet- is Hanson, Ralph. Mass Communication: Living in a Media World. 5th ed. N.p.: Sage, Print. McDaniel, Brandon T., Sarah M. Coyne, and Erin K. Holmes. Maternal and Child Health. Vol. 16. N.p.: Spring Science, New Mothers and New Media Use. UTD Library. Web /fulltext.html Pea, Roy, Clifford Nass, Lyn Meheula, Marcus Rance, and Holden Bamford. Development Psychology. Vol. 48. N.p.: American Psychological Association, Interactive Media and Human Development. UTD Library. Web c683- fe ea5-285e945ef9e8%40sessionmgr4004&vid=0&hid=4104&bdata=JnNpdGU9Z Whvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN= &db=pd Sarriera, Jorge Castella, Daniel Abs, Feran Casas, and Livia M. Bedin. Social Indicators Research. Vol N.p.: Spring Science, Relations Between Media, Perceived Social Support and Personal Well- being in Adolescence. UTD Library. Web x/fulltext.html

10 Johnson 10 "Social Media: How Does it Affect Our Mental Health and Well- Being?." Medical News Today. N.p., 16 Apr Web.

Developed by Mary Ellen Copeland PO Box 301, West Dummerston, VT

Developed by Mary Ellen Copeland PO Box 301, West Dummerston, VT 1 There are three parts to this study of Mental Health Recovery. They are: 1. Key recovery concepts and issues that need attention. Hope Personal responsibility Education Self-advocacy Support Getting