The document discusses how social relationships impact health and well-being, and how online social networks aim to foster social connections. It summarizes research that has found mixed results on the effects of social media use on loneliness, happiness, and depression. A Twitter survey found that people perceive online contacts as similar to themselves even if unknown, and receiving acknowledgement like replies or retweets boosts feelings of being recognized, connected, and appreciated. The power of perception is key, as people may feel companionship or support even without true reciprocity or understanding of others online.
1. SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE
PROBLEM
(AND THE SOLUTION)
Lauren Wagner < September 22 2011 >
2. Social relationships are one of the most
well-documented factors influencing
physical and mental health
- Lowered levels of distress
- Increased feelings of security and self worth
- Heightened sense of belonging
- Source of regulation for maintaining healthy
behaviors
- Enhanced social participation and commitment to
community
3. Online social networks are designed to forge and maintain
social relations between people.
72% of Internet
users utilize
online social
networks
1.7 billion people are
a member of at least
one online social
network
4. Online networks
create social ties
between people
Social ties are
known to impact
well-being
Online social network use affects the
well-being of average users
5. Why should we care about the
health of the “healthy”?
“Transient happy moods lead people to seek
out others and engage with the
environment, to be more venturesome,
more open, and more sensitive to their
individuals.”
6. What do we know?
Internet Health
happiness
loneliness
perceived social
support
companionship
depression
small acts of
kindness
But findings are inconclusive and conflicted. Results are
specific to the type of online environment under
consideration (i.e. Facebook, chat sessions, online support
groups, etc.)
8. The power of perception.
“Humans are such meaning-making
creatures that we perceive social
relationships where no objectifiable
relationship exists (e.g., between author
and reader, between an individual and God)
or where no reciprocity is possible (e.g., in
parasocial relationships with television
characters).”
9. “Conversely, we perceive social
isolation when social
opportunities and relationships
do exist but we lack the capacity
to harness the power of social
connectedness in everyday life.”
12. Hypotheses
1. A reciprocal online interaction has the potential to
improve user well-being
1. A potentially reciprocal online interaction has the ability
to improve user well-being
Subject
tweets
Another user
acknowledges
tweet
Subject
experiences a
boost in well-
being
Individual perceives
that they are
supported
13. Twitter Survey Overview
I. User perception of their Twitter community
– What is the relationship between Twitter users and
their contacts?
II. Expectations and hopes for Twitter interactions
III. Explicit reactions to Twitter interactions
14. I. User perception of their Twitter
community
Respondents’ relationship to Twitter
contacts:
Out of the contacts they interact with
on Twitter, most respondents do not
know these people personally
Do not consider contacts to be part
of their close personal community
Do not consider Twitter interactions
to be personal
Perceived closeness of relationship
to Twitter contacts:
Report that they share many
interests with their Twitter contacts
Would feel concern if a contact
tweeted that they were having a
problem
Implications: Subjects perceive Twitter contacts to be
similar to themselves even though they do not know one
another; respondents would feel concern for purported
strangers if they were having a problem
15. II. Expectations and hopes for
Twitter interactions
Expectations for Twitter
interactions:
Respondents do not care if
another user acknowledges their
tweet
Do not expect another user to
acknowledge their tweet
Hopes for Twitter interactions:
When the respondent tweets, he
hopes for a response from
another user
Comforted by the fact that
someone on Twitter might
acknowledge their contribution
to the network
Implications: Feeling comforted and supported
improves well-being
16. III. Explicit reactions to Twitter
interactions
• Gaining a follower, receiving a reply, and
being retweeted made people feel more:
– Recognized (85%)
– Connected (85%)
– Appreciated (70%)
Responses were higher for receiving a reply and
being retweeted than gaining a follower
17. III. Explicit reactions to Twitter
interactions
Users reported that Twitter:
• Increases feelings of connectedness (62%)
• Is considered an outlet to express ideas (68%)
• Interactions are a source of stimulation and
rewarding (68%)
18. III. Explicit reactions to Twitter
interactions
Boosts in well-being:
- Most users do not feel a boost in well-being when they
tweet
- When a tweet is acknowledged by another user, 64%
report a boost in well-being
Implications: It is the interaction between strangers
that boosts well-being
19. Exploring the Theory of Perceived
Companionship
• Health benefits resulting from interactions with
one’s Twitter network are based off of individual
perception
– Subject believes another user has deciphered their tweet and
deemed it relevant, which may or may not be accurate
– Subject perceives Twitter network to be similar to themselves,
which may or may not be accurate
– A lack of contextual cues forces users to “fill in the spaces”;
research shows that online, people are inclined to create positive
views of one another and develop exaggerated impressions of
conversation partners
The online environment may be manipulated so that average users
perceive activities to be supportive or companionate even if they
are not intended as such
20. Social Media // Force for Good
“Our biggest problems have no
technological solution. We have come
through the industrial age, the information
age. Now we need to prepare ourselves
for what I call the human engineering age
and address the relationships which
enable societies to work” (Herbert, 2011)
BACKGROUND- recent facebook study
2010 Lancet published a study about whether mobile phone communication between health care patients and providers in Kenya would improve adherence to drug regimens and result in suppressed viral loads
Received a simple text message every Monday that said how are you feeling- responded sawa that they were doing well, or shida that they were having a problem. Most said that they were fine yet intervention group displayed greater adherence to drug regimens and increased viral suppressions compared with the control
“felt like someone cares”– didn’t know health worker and messages were impersonal. Said they felt like someone cares, resulting in positive health benefits
Yes there’s mediated communication but I chose to focus on online social networks; FOUND THE IDEA OF PERCEPTION PARTICULARLY INTERESTING
Healthy might think of sick. Mental health, think of crazy. Here to challenge your conception of health and mental health. Actual definition is that health is an optimum state and something we should all strive to achieve. Since we know that social relationships impact health and online networks are designed to forge these ties, how do we configure interactions to advance positive outcomes. My focus is on average people doing average things and how that influences mental health.
Good news and the bad news: Depression statistics
By 2030, depression will be the biggest sociological and economic burden on societies worldwide (WHO)
However
Government: For example, according to the cabinet secretary, improving the mental health and well-being of the unemployed could motivate them to find work (Ramesh, 2007), which would benefit society at-large.
In an attempt to improve the lives of users, it is unhelpful to draw conclusions about interactions specific to a type of online social network or interaction
(i.e. Looking at Facebook photos decreases self- esteem)
The Internet has been lauded for its ability to foster feelings of perceived social support across a multitude of online environments
Instead, we must create new generalizable theories that can be used to inform the design of websites and networks
Traditional focus on the sick. 1 billion people using these networks, how do we benefit them. Existing studies look back instead of look forward. Focus on perceived social support- HOW ITS INTERPRETED MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT IS HAPPENING
Although it might seem insignificant, companionship is integral to our well-being:
Known to be the strongest predictor of loneliness
Small regular boosts in happiness have been shown to maintain users’ self-esteem over an extended period of time
Contributes to greater resilience and optimism, thus shaping how we perceive the world
Lack of pleasurable activities have been implicated in the inception of some psychological disorders
Online and offline!!!
Happiness and well-being are perceived experiences. When you move to a new location it negatively impacts your well-being. Your happiness in the new location is based on how many friends you think you have rather the the number of friends you actually have
“Imagined” friendships are facilitated by the Internet and mediated communication, which produce boosts in well-being; SAME HEALTH BENEFITS
Specifically, can a reciprocal interaction online provide a boost in well-being. Also, once someone has gained some sort of benefit through these interactions, can the mere potential for that interaction to occur in the future create some sort of enduring feeling of support that improves wellbeing
Can online reciprocal interactions boost wellbeing? Can the potential for these interactions improve happiness? Results: perceived closeness to other contacts; outlet to express ideas; makes people feel more connected to the world
When you tweet don’t feel a boost in wellbeing but when tweet is retweeted or replied to you feel a boost