CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 23Impact of Technology on AdolescentsDigital Media and PhilosophyMedia and Digital Communication

Social media use only helps, and does not harm, daily interactions and well-being.

Open access
Mitev, Kaloyan, Weinstein, Netta, Karabeliova, Sonya, Nguyen, Thuy-vy, Law, Wilbert, Przybylski, Andrew·2021·Technology, Mind, and Behavior
DOI 10.1037/tmb0000033
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

In two studies we explore how different levels of social networking sites (SNSs) use affect the psychological constructs of well-being, social connection, and social capital. Conducting two studies and using a multiday experimental design in both an individualistic (United Kingdom [U.K.]) and a collectivistic (Bulgaria [BG]) society, we investigated differences in the effects of abstaining from SNS use, overuse, and normal use. Participants (U.K. n = 116; BG. n = 120) in the two within-subject studies reported on connectedness and two types of social capital (bridging; bonding), and their well-being, on days in which they had lower use of social media, used it as normal, or overused it. Results revealed no significant differences on well-being scores across the three conditions for the U.K. and Bulgaria. Social connection and bonding social capital significantly decreased on lower use days in the U.K. sample. These effects were not replicated in the Bulgarian sample. Findings did not indicate significant differences on the scores for bridging social capital across the three levels of SNS use for the participants from the U.K. and from Bulgaria. For the U.K. sample, social connection, in particular, served as an independent mediator linking lower use days to lower well-being, in contrast with normal use days. Suddenly lowering one’s social media use might lead to people experiencing less connected to others, thus impacting their well-being. However, overuse of SNS platforms is still underexplored, thus people should regulate their SNS use in an optimal way which best supports their daily lives.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1037/tmb0000033

Cites

12 of 12 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The well-being composite was consistent with previous research that combined these indicators for a well-being measure in emerging adults aged 17-21 in the context of cyberbullying, as a result of parental listening, and in relation to daily experiences following social media use.

    “This composite was consistent with previous research that has combined these indicators for a well‐being measure in emerging adults aged 17–21 in the context of cyberbullying (Waisglass, 2017), as a result of parental listening (Weinstein et al., 2021), and in relation to daily experiences following social media use (Mitev et al., 2021).”

    From Teachers' motivational prosody: A pre‐registered experimental test of children's reactions to tone of voice used by teachers (2023) · cites this paper as Mitev et al., 2021

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 43

  1. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/8QD25 ↩ · DOI
  2. Orben, A. (2020). The sisyphean cycle of technology panics. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(5), 1143-1157. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620919372 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  3. Trifiro, B. M., & Gerson, J. (2019). Social media usage patterns: Research note regarding the lack of universal validated measures for active and passive use. Social Media Society, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305119848743 ↩ · DOI
  4. Carpenter, J. M., Green, M. C., & LaFlam, J. (2011). People or profiles: Individual differences in online social networking use. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(5), 538-541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.11.006 ↩ · DOI
  5. Reis, H. T. (2012). Perceived partner responsiveness as an organizing theme for the study of relationships and well-being. In L. Campbell & T. J. Loving (Eds.), Interdisciplinary research on close relationships: The case for integration (pp. 27- 52). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13486-002 ↩ · DOI
  6. Kalpidou, M., Costin, D., & Morris, J. (2011). The relationship between facebook and the well-being of undergraduate college students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(4), 183-189. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2010.0061 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  7. Bekalu, M. A., McCloud, R. F., & Viswanath, K. (2019). Association of social media use with social well-being, positive mental health, and self-rated health: Disentangling routine use from emotional connection to use. Health Education & Behavior, 46, 69S-80S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119863768 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  8. Berryman, C., Ferguson, C. J., & Negy, C. (2018). Social media use and mental health among young adults. Psychiatric Quarterly, 89(2), 307-314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-017-9535-6 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  9. Reinecke, L., & Trepte, S. (2014). Authenticity and well-being on social network sites: A two-wave longitudinal study on the effects of online authenticity and the positivity bias in sns communication. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 95-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.030 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  10. Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., Shablack, H., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well- being in young adults. PLOS ONE, 8(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069841 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  11. Wang, J. L., Jackson, L. A., Gaskin, J., & Wang, H. Z. (2014). The effects of social networking site (sns) use on college students' friendship and well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 229-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.051 ↩ · DOI
  12. Oh, H. J., Ozkaya, E., & LaRose, R. (2014). How does online social networking enhance life satisfaction? The relationships among online supportive interaction, affect, perceived social support, sense of community, and life satisfaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.053 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  13. Arampatzi, E., Burger, M. J., & Novik, N. (2018). Social network sites, individual social capital and happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(1), 99-122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9808-z ↩ · DOI
  14. Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111-131. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  15. In C. L. M. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well- lived (pp. 129-159). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10594-006 ↩ · DOI
  16. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publications. https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  17. Rodríguez-Pose, A., & Von Berlepsch, V. (2014). Social capital and individual happiness in europe. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(2), 357-386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9426-y ↩ · DOI
  18. Tromholt, M. (2016). The facebook experiment: Quitting facebook leads to higher levels of well-being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(11), 661- 666. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0259 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  19. Hanley, S. M., Watt, S. E., & Coventry, W. (2019). Taking a break: The effect of taking a vacation from facebook and instagram on subjective well-being. PLOS ONE, 14(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217743 ↩ · DOI
  20. Bourdieu, P. (1985). The forms of social capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241-258). Greenwood. ↩
  21. Lin, N. (2001). Social capital: A theory of social structure and action. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815447 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  22. Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of american community. Simon & Schuster. https://doi.org/10.1145/358916.361990 ↩ · DOI
  23. Abbas, R., & Mesch, G. (2018). Do rich teens get richer? Facebook use and the link between offline and online social capital among palestinian youth in israel. Information Communication and Society, 21(1), 63-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2016.1261168 ↩ · DOI
  24. 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. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  25. Burke, M., Kraut, R., & Marlow, C. (2011). Social capital on facebook: Differentiating uses and users. In Proceedings of the sigchi conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 571-580). ACM Press. https://doi.org/10.1145/1978942.1979023 ↩ · DOI
  26. Bano, S., Cisheng, W., Khan, A. N., & Khan, N. A. (2019). WhatsApp use and student's psychological well-being: Role of social capital and social integration. Children and Youth Services Review, 103, 200-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.06.002 ↩ · DOI
  27. Leary, M. R. (2010). Affiliation, acceptance, and belonging: The pursuit of interpersonal connection. In S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 864-897). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy002024 ↩ · DOI
  28. Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  29. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2008). Self-determination theory and the role of basic psychological needs in personality and the organization of behavior. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality psychology: Theory and research (3rd ed., pp. 654-678). Guilford Press. ↩
  30. Sheldon, K. M. (2004). Optimal human being: An integrated multi-level perspective. Lawrence Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410610973 ↩ · DOI
  31. Ateca-Amestoy, V., Aguilar, A. C., & Moro-Egido, A. I. (2014). Social interactions and life satisfaction: Evidence from latin america. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(3), 527-554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9434-y ↩ · DOI
  32. Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture and organizations. International Studies of Management & Organization, 10(4), 15-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/00208825.1980.11656300 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  33. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2005). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (Vol. 2). Mcgraw-hill. ↩
  34. Sheldon, P., Rauschnabel, P. A., Antony, M. G., & Car, S. (2017). A cross-cultural comparison of croatian and american social network sites: Exploring cultural differences in motives for instagram use. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 643- 651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.06.009 ↩ · DOI
  35. Hsu, M. H., Tien, S. W., Lin, H. C., & Chang, C. M. (2015). Understanding the roles of cultural differences and socio-economic status in social media continuance intention. Information Technology & People, 28(1), 224-241. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-01-2014-0007 ↩ · DOI
  36. Moy, P., Scheufele, D. A., & Holbert, R. L. (1999). Television use and social capital: Testing putnam's time displacement hypothesis. Mass Communication & Society, 2(1-2), 27-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.1999.9677860 ↩ · DOI
  37. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400876136 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  38. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The panas scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063-1070. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022- 3514.54.6.1063 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  39. Montoya, A. K., & Hayes, A. F. (2017). Two-condition within-participant statistical mediation analysis: A path-analytic framework. Psychological Methods, 22(1), 6-27. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000086 ↩ · DOI
  40. Milner, A., Krnjacki, L., & LaMontagne, A. D. (2016). Age and gender differences in the influence of social support on mental health: A longitudinal fixed-effects analysis using 13 annual waves of the hilda cohort. Public Health, 140, 172-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2016.06.029 ↩ · DOI
  41. Rawlins, J. M., Simeon, D. T., Ramdath, D. D., & Chadee, D. D. (2008). The elderly in trinidad: Health, social and economic status and issues of loneliness. The West Indian Medical Journal, 57(6), 589-595. ↩
  42. Leung, L. (2013). Generational differences in content generation in social media: The roles of the gratifications sought and of narcissism. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 997-1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.12.028 ↩ · DOI · Paper page
  43. Olsson-Collentine, A., Assen, van M. A. L. M., & Hartgerink, C. H. J. (2019). The prevalence of marginally significant results in psychology over time. Psychological Science, 30(4), 576-586. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619830326 ↩ · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Mitev, K., Weinstein, N., Karabeliova, S., Nguyen, T.-V., Law, W., & Przybylski, A.
Affiliations
  • Cardiff University (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • University "St. Kliment Ohridski" - Bitola (MK)
  • Durham University (GB)
  • Education University of Hong Kong (HK)
ORCID
Venue
Technology, Mind, and Behavior
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2021
Volume
2
Issue
1
Pages
22-33
ISSN
2689-0208 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1037/tmb0000033
OpenAlex
W3174805348
Cited by
23
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1
FWCI
4.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Technology Mind and Behavior (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
  • Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) (University of Oxford) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
Huo Family Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Digital Media and Philosophy
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Media and Digital Communication
Keywords
social media use, social networking sites, well-being, social connectedness, social capital, bridging social capital, bonding social capital, excessive social media use, individualistic and collectivistic cultures, mediation

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review