2023-05-29 12:45:12
Instagram and TikTok are two of the fastest growing social networks in many countries around the world, such as the United States. Despite their growing popularity, little research has focused on the association between specific use of Instagram and TikTok and a person’s psychological well-being.
James A. Roberts and Meredith E. David, both from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, United States, have investigated the correlation between the degree and type of happiness Instagram and TikTok users feel while using them, and their level of Mental Wellness.
The study authors investigated 420 American adults.
Five aspects of how the person lives their experience on Instagram or TikTok were taken into account: how much they focus on it (the amount of attention they pay to Instagram or TikTok while using them), how much fun they have while using it, how much curiosity feels to see what’s new since the last connection, the intensity of telepresence (the degree of immersion in the “universe” of the social network) and the degree of time distortion experienced (to what extent do you lose track of time while on Instagram or TikTok, for example spending hours on the social network when their intention was to do a minute session.
The study found that telepresence is the key component in driving problem behaviors on social media, including addiction. Telepresence for both Instagram and TikTok users was associated with higher levels of addiction, difficulty concentrating on other things, fear of missing out on interesting things on Instagram or TikTok, anxiety, and depression. The study revealed that 28% of Instagram users and 24% of TikTok users should be considered addicted if we follow the official diagnostic criteria.
Meredith E. David. (Foto: Baylor University)
Instagram and TikTok can provide an escape from everyday worries. But if used excessively, they are a poor coping strategy for the person’s problems, as David argues.
“It is likely that immersion in this world constituted by the social network displaces the more significant and close interpersonal relationships on which our psychological well-being depends,” concludes David.
The study is titled “Instagram and TikTok Flow States and Their Association with Psychological Well-Being”. And it has been published in the academic journal Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking. (Source: NCYT de Amazings)
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