This document explores the psychological impact of social media, focusing on how platforms like Facebook influence user behavior and emotional well-being through processes of persuasion and social comparison. It highlights both the negative effects, such as feelings of inadequacy and increased social anxiety, and the positive aspects, including enhanced social capital and self-esteem. Ultimately, the document suggests a balanced view on social media use, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection and meaningful connections rather than seeking validation through likes.

1. Week 4 Mini Lecture
This week, you will be studying about the potential
psychological impact of social media. Specifically, you will be
learning about persuasion and influence through advertisements
and acts of violence on social media. The article below speaks,
in a very “real world” way to the psychological impact of social
media. I hope you enjoy it.
Enjoy this article by Hannah Schacter on Psychology in Action
– Retrieved from
https://www.psychologyinaction.org/psychology-in-action-
1/2015/09/07/me-myselfie-and-i-the-psychological-impact-of-
social-media-activity
Me, Myselfie, and I: The Psychological Impact of Social Media
Activity
Not too long ago, I relentlessly teased my 21-year-old sister
when she revealed her strategies for achieving maximal positive
feedback on Facebook photos. There were timing basics—don’t
post on Friday or Saturday nights because no one is checking.
She also recommended sensitivity to time zones so as to avoid
an entire coast being asleep when your picture is posted. There
was even attention to Facebook’s sharing algorithms. Rather
than posting and tagging other people in the photo
simultaneously, it was wise to wait on the tagging. That way,
once several hours had passed and the photo filtered into the
depths of everyone’s news feeds, a new tag would prompt it to
resurface front and center, in turn receiving a fresh wave of
"likes". And wait, there's more--after almost 10 years on the
site, she could even report back to me her most liked Facebook
post ever. It all sounded…ridiculous. I chalked it all up to our
(whopping) three-year age difference—kids these days and their
all-consuming social media obsessions. Back when I was in
college…
And then several months later I sent my sister the most

2. shameful text message of all time (for the record, I was only
allowed to publish Emily Schacter’s Facebook Strategy Tell-All
under the condition that I owned up to my own social media
low-point). One morning last month, I posted what I thought to
be quite an entertaining picture on Facebook. But, to my
surprise, twenty minutes passed by and I had zero likes on the
photo. Forty minutes, still nothing. Maybe I accidentally posted
it with extra privacy restrictions? Nope. An hour. And still,
even my two most loyal Facebook like-ers (I’m looking at you,
Mom and Dad) hadn’t given my picture some love. Desperation
took over.
I had cracked, and in doing so I lost my privileges to ever mock
Emily for her Facebook posting habits again. Why in the world
did I care so much about an un-liked photo? Was it really a lack
of likes, rather than the four hours a week I dedicate to
watching Bachelor in Paradise, that I was concerned made me
look like a loser? When and how did Facebook likes become
such a valuable social currency? For better or for worse, I am
hardly alone in my experience. Recent research has documented
how technology, and social networking sites (SNS; e.g.,
Facebook, Instagram) in particular, have given rise to a growing
obsession with impression management and self-presentation
online. Whether it’s searching for the perfect Instagram photo
filter or carefully crafting a humblebrag Facebook status about a
recent publication (personal confession: guilty on both
counts), users frequently engage in selective self-presentation
strategies to portray an "ideal self" through social media (Chou
& Edge, 2012; Manago, Graham, Greenfield, & Salimkhan,
2008). In turn, we seek out social approval and positive
feedback in the form of comments and likes. Reflecting upon
my own social media usage (e.g., the-text-that-shall-not-be-
named) and observing the online behavior of others, I’ve
become increasingly interested in understanding the

3. psychological consequences of these online experiences. Put
simply, are our relationships with social media healthy?
Source: Comical Concept
With steep increases in the rates of social media usage over the
past several years, there has been a growth in psychological
research addressing this very question. As with most things I’ve
discussed on this blog, the answer is not as simple as yes or no.
Although social networking sites offer unique opportunities for
interpersonal communication and self-expression, there may
also be psychological costs of certain online behaviors. Here
I’ll first review some evidence for the dark side of social media,
then turning to the bright side of things.
When considering the potential negative effects of social media,
there appear to be risks associated with certain types of online
activity, rather than SNS usage at large. For example, social
media use can be particularly maladaptive when it occurs in the
form of passive browsing. That is, when users spend time on
sites like Facebook and Instagram exclusively looking at other
people’s photos and profile content, it can trigger a sense of
exclusion, envy, and loneliness (Krasnova, Wenninger, Widjaja,
& Buxmann, 2013). This sort of online surveillance activity can
also promote feelings of inadequacy or jealousy in the context
of romantic relationships, especially among users who subject
themselves to the Facebook-stalking of exes (Marshall, 2012;
Muise, Christofides, Desmarais, 2009). Within friendships,
excessive monitoring of others’ activities can also trigger
feelings of exclusion (e.g., “Why wasn’t I invited to this
party??”) and, in turn, increase social anxiety. This phenomenon
has come to be known as “FOMO,” fear of missing out, and
initial research has found that individuals reporting higher
levels of FOMO spend more time on Facebook and experience
more negative mood (Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, &

4. Gladwell, 2013).
Relatedly, on sites like Facebook, users frequently engage in
social comparison processes that can then generate emotional
distress. For example, viewing profile pictures of attractive
people elicits more negative emotions than viewing photos of
less attractive people, and more photo-related activity on
Facebook (e.g., posting pictures, viewing friends’ photos) is
related to body image disturbances in teen girls (Meier & Gray,
2014). Social comparison on social networking sites, under
certain circumstances, has also been associated with mental
health problems. In a recent study of adolescents, Nesi and
Prinstein (2015) considered the role of technology-based “social
comparison and feedback-seeking” (SCFS) in the development
of depressive symptoms. They found that adolescents (8th and
9th graders) who reported engaging in more social comparison
and feedback-seeking behavior online (e.g., “I use electronic
interaction to see what others think about how I look”; “I use
electronic interaction to compare my life with other people’s
lives”) experienced more depressive symptoms a year later,
even when accounting for earlier levels of depression as well
as concurrent technology use. Moreover, this positive
association was particularly strong for girls and for students
who were less popular with their peers at school. Given that
profiles on social networking sites often portray positively
distorted portrayals of users, teens who engage in social
comparisons online may come to feel like "everyone is happier
than me," and this feeling may be especially pronounced for
teens who are already less popular among their peers.
Source: Wrong Hands
Before you conclude it’s time to deactivate your
Facebook/Instagram/SnapChat/Twitter/Tumblr, it’s also worth

5. acknowledging how social media can offer important benefits to
our psychological health. Facebook in particular
provides opportunities for increased social capital, social
interaction with others, and identity development. In terms of
social capital, studies on college campuses have shown that
certain types of Facebook use allow for students to be better
integrated into the college community, insofar as it provided a
venue for acquiring information about social events and for
strengthening social ties with newly introduced classmates
(Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007). Facebook also allows
users to maintain preexisting relationships and even strengthen
close friendships and familial ties through novel expressions of
intimacy (e.g., photo sharing, wall posting; Watkins & Lee,
2010).
In terms of identity development and psychological health,
research suggests that young users report increased self-esteem
and general well-being following instances of positive feedback
on social networking sites (Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten,
2006). Relatedly, results from a 2009 survey of college students
indicated that the heaviest Facebook users were also most
satisfied with their lives and exhibited greater social and
political engagement (Valenzuela, Park, & Kee, 2009). Studies
have even demonstrated that just several minutes of looking at
one’s own Facebook profile resulted in a significant self-esteem
boost among participants (Gonzales & Hancock, 2011; Toma &
Hancock, 2013)! Facebook and related social networking sites,
by allowing users to selectively browse through and reflect on
their best moments, can promote self-affirmation (i.e.,
awareness of one’s own value). These findings suggest that
social networking sites like Facebook, by promoting self-
expression and emphasizing social connections with friends and
family, also foster the preservation of self-worth (Toma &
Hancock, 2013).
Considering this body of research as a whole, what’s the
verdict? As with many technological developments, social
media presents both positives and negatives. Although certain

6. online activities may promote an unhealthy preoccupation with
social comparison and feedback seeking, social networking sites
like Facebook also offer opportunities to strengthen preexisting
relationships and even our own sense of identity. So, if you find
yourself issuing pleas to family members for Facebook likes, try
shifting the focus away from your virtual audience. Instead,
use SNS profiles to reflect on meaningful aspects of your own
identity and social connections with cherished others (e.g.,
treasuring all your adorably nostalgic #tbt photos).
References
Chou, H. T. G., & Edge, N. (2012). “They are happier and
having better lives than I am”: the impact of using Facebook on
perceptions of others' lives. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and
Social Networking, 15(2), 117-121.
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits
of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use
of online social network sites. Journal of Computer‐Mediated
Communication, 12(4), 1143-1168.
Gonzales, A. L., & Hancock, J. T. (2011). Mirror, mirror on my
Facebook wall: Effects of exposure to Facebook on self-
esteem. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking, 14(1-2), 79-83.
Krasnova, H., Wenninger, H., Widjaja, T., & Buxmann, P.
(2013). Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users' Life
Satisfaction? Wirtschaftsinformatik, 92.
Manago, A. M., Graham, M. B., Greenfield, P. M., &
Salimkhan, G. (2008). Self-presentation and gender on
MySpace. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(6),
446-458.
Marshall, T. C. (2012). Facebook surveillance of former
romantic partners: associations with postbreakup recovery and
personal growth. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking, 15(10), 521-526.
Meier, E. P., & Gray, J. (2014). Facebook photo activity
associated with body image disturbance in adolescent
girls. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social

7. Networking, 17(4), 199-206.
Muise, A., Christofides, E., & Desmarais, S. (2009). More
information than you ever wanted: Does Facebook bring out the
green-eyed monster of jealousy?.CyberPsychology &
Behavior, 12(4), 441-444.
Nesi, J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2015). Using Social Media for
Social Comparison and Feedback-Seeking: Gender and
Popularity Moderate Associations with Depressive
Symptoms. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 1-12.
Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell,
V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of
fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4),
1841-1848.
Toma, C. L., & Hancock, J. T. (2013). Self-affirmation
underlies Facebook use. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 39(3), 321-331.
Valenzuela, S., Park, N., & Kee, K. F. (2009). Is There Social
Capital in a Social Network Site?: Facebook Use and College
Students' Life Satisfaction, Trust, and Participation1. Journal
of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 14(4), 875-901.
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being and social self-esteem. CyberPsychology &
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Watkins, S. C., & Lee, H. E. (2010). Got Facebook?
Investigating what’s social about social media. Unpublished
manuscript, Department of Radio, Television and Film, The
University of Texas at Austin, TX. Retrieved from http://www.
theyoungandthedigital.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/11/watkins
_lee_facebookstudy-nov-18. pdf.