Study: Social Media Making People Anti-Social, Jealous

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Could social media be making people more anti-social?

Many people who use social media may go to desperate lengths to receive “likes” from followers, the study found.

The social media boom continues to make it easier than ever to stay in touch with loved ones in real time. But with the flourishing of new technology and the ability to be connected to anyone and everyone at any time, real-life human interactions could be suffering a heavy blow.

A recent global study conducted by Kasperksy Lab reveals that social media users are interacting less face-to-face than in the past because of this newfound ability to constantly communicate and stay in touch online. In the study, researchers found that about one-third of people communicate less with their parents (31%), partners (23%), children (33%) and friends (35%) because they can simply follow them on social media. This may be doing more harm than good, in a world where editing one’s life to make it appear perfect is more appealing than naturally existing.

“Under certain circumstances they perceive their online communication as ‘hyper-personal communication’ and thus they can misread and over-interpret the messages on social media,” said Dr. Astrid Carolus, Media Psychologist at the University of Würzburg. “We feel especially close, we blind out the rather negative, focus on the possible positive intentions behind a message, and over-interpret.” 

The study was conducted between October and November of last year among 16,750 participants, split evenly between men and women at least 16 years old from 18 countries, each of whom was surveyed online.

Participants were surveyed on the types of items they post on social media and the types of posts from others that have positive or negative influences on their moods. They were also asked about things they might do if meant obtaining more “likes” from their followers, including such things as posting salacious photos of friends or co-workers, or revealing sensitive information about someone else.

Many participants made it clear that social media made them jealous of others. Nearly 60% of the participants viewed a friend as having a better life than their own simply by seeing that friend’s social media activity, and almost half were upset after viewing photos from a friend’s happy holiday celebration.

The study also found that “people go on social media to feel better.” Half of the participants reported using the outlets as a means to post optimistic things, and 61% said they go on to post things that make them smile.

Researchers ultimately found that many people will go to harmful lengths simply to win “likes” from followers. “This study has shown us that in order to generate more likes and feel better about the time they spend on social media, people are being tempted into sharing more information; potentially putting themselves and the people they care about at risk,” the authors concluded.

Among the findings:

  • 61% of the participants felt worse after finding out someone “unfriended” them, and 59% were upset after someone posted a negative or critical comment on their profile
  • 57% said after going on social media they’ve felt that someone they follow has a better life than they do
  • 59% felt sad after seeing photos from a party they didn’t attend posted on social media and 45% were unhappy after seeing photos from a friend’s happy holiday outing
  • 58% were angered by a photo a friend posted of them online that they didn’t want made public
  • 54% felt upset when no one liked or commented on a photo they posted
  • 42% were jealous when they saw a friend had more likes or comments than they did on a status update
  • Just 31% of people aren’t bothered by the number of likes they receive on a post
  • 24% of men said they worry that if they get few like, their friends will think that they are unpopular, compared to one-in-six (17%) women
  • To get more likes, 32% of men said they’d post something funny about a friend, compared to 21% of women

What do you think about this study? Do you notice social media taking a toll in your relationships?

Comments

  1. Duh! It took a study to reveal this? Every person who knows anyone addicted to their phones/pads/computers could have told them this without spending a dime. How is this any different from those who constantly drive in their air conditioned, controlled environment vehicles versus those who walk and interact with people they pass on the street? Young cashiers or sales people in most retail outlets shows a total lack of social skills. When no interaction is required it becomes unnecessary.

  2. Why didnt they say anything about episode one season 3 of BLACK MIRROR? This is what this article is all about. Fantastic episode.

  3. Who’s funding this study? Because I think it’s ridiculous that somebody (probably some government busybody) would fund a study in which practically everyone already knew the answer.

    1. I remember being briefed in 2003, the USAF was studying why women complain more than men when getting Anthrax prevention shots. When I answered that the cliche “boys don’t cry” would have saved govt dollars, they nearly tossed me out of the briefing.

  4. This is news? People have been saying this since my space came out. Social Media. Thing you can hide behind to be a bully.

  5. I use social media to create in person contacts. I know several dozen people, in the flesh world, I would not know, if not for social media. Yet, sometimes it can take over too much of your time. I stepped back from it recently, but not for good.

  6. I just use FFB to log in to reply to dumb a.. comments. Don’t understand the purpose of ffb, unless it is to help people with big egos. Because I don’t really f..king care if anyone knows what the hell I am doing or approves. What I really don’t understand this “FRIEND” BS, SEEMS LIKE A BUNCH OF CRAP. YOU know your friends and they sure as hell are people that you don’t even know.

  7. Take away the visual cues of human communication. What we are left with are fractional shells of ourselves, we have been in this form on this planet for several hundred thousand years. For a female one of the best skills is reading emotion. An average Woman can read the emotional cues of a person’s face before she could recognize that same person. Men have these senses as well. Without these evolved skills being utilized our minds simply create tone, or intent where there is none just to make sense of the world.

  8. Social media. What a crock of crapola. I tossed my smart phone four years ago, don’t have any accounts on any website, and go to the library when I want to answer a questions. Wikipedia just doesn’t hack it. OK. I’m old-fashioned, but it is by choice. I’ve watched the slow destruction of a generation’s socialization because their little heads are constantly bent over their phones, pads, watches, whatever. The comments I here at our local bars, which attract a ton of college kids, are laughable. How in the hell are these people going to run a company or a country, or even work in one, when they need crayons and safe places to get over electing Trump or because there are plastic bags floating in the ocean. The mindless protests over . . . what, just point out the lack of intelligence to go with their over-blown emotions. THANK GOD we still have enough men with guts and brains to serve in the military or China would be on our doorstep.

  9. The surprising thing about the findings of the study in this article is that so many people are jealous of their friends! Here is a clue: if you are jealous of the happiness of your friends and family, you need to look at your self. Being jealous of others is not healthy. I don’t feel jealous – I feel really happy when I see photos of my friends enjoying themselves, because I want them to be having a good time in their lives. I like FB because it enables me to keep in touch with people, even when I’m busy. If a friend is having a difficult time I want to know it so I can be there for them.

    1. Yes but why do people feel the need to put everything on FB? What about that friend that doesn’t like to air their laundry? What could you do to go out of your way to see if they are alright since they won’t post it on FB?

  10. Who needs Fakebook? A bottle of Jim Beam and Drudge Report is my daily routine. Don’t need no friends, real or otherwise.

  11. I trust no one under the age of 50. People born after 1980 are a bunch of whiny panzy momma’s boys or entitlement sucking femi-nazis. There is no hope for America or Europe. You children blew your inheritance.

  12. Social meedja, where access meets anonymity and people “meet” to compare lies and illusions about themselves.

  13. Being “unfriended” wouldn’t bother me.
    Unless, of course, it was my wife doing the “unfriending.”
    That’d be right up there with if she would change her relationship status to “It’s complicated.”

  14. I’m not convinced things were better when folks lived in small villages where fat cats lived well, the hoi polloi barey hung in there, and busybodies could ruin your life with shunning, rumors, etc.

    I’m not sure living in big city slums was better, either, whether London or New York. Anomie is an enemy that enters many domains. FB is a tool that, like most, can be used or abused.

    Praying to God/Odin/Talking-Tree 24/7 would have negative consequences, too. Like starving.


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