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.)

7. Human connectedness is a function of perceived
social support and companionship.

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.”

10. theory of
perceived
companionship

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)

21. Thank you.
@typewriters