Does posting Facebook status updates increase or decrease loneliness? An online social networking experiment
Open accessAbstract
Online social networking is a pervasive but empirically understudied phenomenon. Strong public opinions on its consequences exist but are backed up by little empirical evidence and almost no causally conclusive, experimental research. The current study tested the psychological effects of posting status updates on Facebook using an experimental design. For 1 week, participants in the experimental condition were asked to post more than they usually do, whereas participants in the control condition received no instructions. Participants added a lab “Research Profile” as a Facebook friend allowing for the objective documentation of protocol compliance, participants’ status updates, and friends’ responses. Results revealed (1) that the experimentally induced increase in status updating activity reduced loneliness, (2) that the decrease in loneliness was due to participants feeling more connected to their friends on a daily basis, and (3) that the effect of posting on loneliness was independent of direct social feedback (i.e., responses) by friends.
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.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
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.
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?
Some findings have suggested that SMU has negative implications for mental health when used passively (e.g., scrolling), but potentially improves well-being when used actively (e.g., posting, direct messaging).
“some findings have suggested that SMU has negative implications for mental health when used passively (e.g., scrolling), but potentially improves well-being when used actively (e.g., posting, direct messaging; Deters and Mehl, 2013; Escobar-Viera et al., 2018; Frison and Eggermont, 2020).”
From Investigating the links between objective social media use, attentional control, and psychological distress (2024) · cites this paper as Deters and Mehl, 2013
Prior research suggested that active use could be beneficial in terms of enhancing social connectedness, subjective well-being and reducing loneliness.
“By differentiating the two types of SM activities, prior research suggested that active use could be beneficial in terms of enhancing social connectedness, subjective well-being and reducing loneliness (21–23).”
From COVID-19 stress and addictive social media use (SMU): mediating role of active use and social media flow (2021) · cites this paper as [22]
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
SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004) · Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers · doi:10.3758/bf03206553 · Cited by 17,383 · see citing works
Social network sites: definition, history, and scholarship
boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x · Cited by 16,251 · see citing works
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x · Cited by 9,939 · see citing works
Screening for Depression in Well Older Adults: Evaluation of a Short Form of the CES-D
Andresen, E. M., Malmgren, J. A., Carter, W. B., & Patrick, D. L. (1994) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0749-3797(18)30622-6 · Cited by 5,403 · see citing works
Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being?
Kraut, R. E., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V. A., Kiesler, S. B., Mukophadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. L. (1998) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037//0003-066x.53.9.1017 · Cited by 4,829 · see citing works
Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being?
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukophadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. (1998) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.53.9.1017 · Cited by 4,793 · see citing works
Andresen, E. M., Malmgren, J. A., Carter, W. B., & Patrick, D. L. (1994) · PubMed · Cited by 4,426 · see citing works
A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1023/a:1006824100041 · Cited by 4,071 · see citing works
Java, A., Song, X., Finin, T., & Tseng, B. L. (2007) · doi:10.1145/1348549.1348556 · Cited by 2,662 · see citing works
A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization
Bond, R. M., Fariss, C. J., Jones, J. J., Kramer, A. D. I., Marlow, C., Settle, J. E., & Fowler, J. H. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11421 · Cited by 2,575 · see citing works
Cacioppo, J. T., Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Thisted, R. A. (2006) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/0882-7974.21.1.140 · Cited by 2,380 · see citing works
Handbook of research methods in personality psychology
(2007) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.45-2315 · Cited by 2,378 · see citing works
Cyberostracism: effects of being ignored over the Internet
Williams, K. D., Cheung, C. K. T., & Choi, W. (2000) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.748 · Cited by 2,276 · see citing works
Developing a measure of loneliness
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Ferguson, M. L. (1978) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4203_11 · Cited by 2,089 · see citing works
Social capital, self-esteem, and use of online social network sites: A longitudinal analysis.
Steinfield, C., Ellison, N. B., & Lampe, C. (2008) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.002 · Cited by 1,919 · see citing works
The Science of subjective well-being
(2008) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.45-5867 · Cited by 1,628 · see citing works
Self-disclosure and liking: A meta-analytic review
Collins, N. L., & Miller, L. C. (1994) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.116.3.457 · Cited by 1,621 · see citing works
Plan 9 From Cyberspace: The Implications of the Internet for Personality and Social Psychology
McKenna, K. Y. A., & Bargh, J. A. (2000) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0401_6 · Cited by 1,507 · see citing works
A Review of Facebook Research in the Social Sciences
Wilson, R. E., Gosling, S. D., & Graham, L. T. (2012) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691612442904 · Cited by 1,226 · see citing works
Intimacy as an interpersonal process
Reis, H. T., & Shaver, P. R. (2018) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203732496-5 · Cited by 1,188 · see citing works
Facebook Profiles Reflect Actual Personality, Not Self-Idealization
Back, M. D., Stopfer, J. M., Vazire, S., Gaddis, S., Schmukle, S. C., Egloff, B., & Gosling, S. D. (2010) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797609360756 · Cited by 1,169 · see citing works
Social network activity and social well-being
Burke, M., Marlow, C., & Lento, T. (2010) · Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/1753326.1753613 · Cited by 1,109 · see citing works
Facebook as a toolkit: A uses and gratification approach to unbundling feature use
Smock, A. D., Ellison, N. B., Lampe, C., & Wohn, D. Y. (2011) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2011.07.011 · Cited by 948 · see citing works
The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness: A procedure and some preliminary findings
Aron, A., Melinat, E., Aron, E. N., Vallone, R. D., & Bator, R. J. (1997) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167297234003 · Cited by 902 · see citing works
Sociability, Interpersonal Relations, and the Internet: Reconciling Conflicting Findings
NIE, N. H. (2001) · American Behavioral Scientist · doi:10.1177/00027640121957277 · Cited by 803 · see citing works
Shaw, L. H., & Gant, L. M. (2002) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/109493102753770552 · Cited by 778 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…by Kraut et al’s (1998) first and highly influential study claiming that Internet use can cause loneliness and depression, the public has been concerned about the detrimental interpersonal and psychological effects of spending time online (McKenna & Bargh, 2000; Shaw & Gant, 2002; Weiser, 2001).”
BackgroundValkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2007) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00368.x · Cited by 776 · cited 2× · see citing works
“4), others have identified its beneficial effects on social capital (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007; Steinfield, Ellison, & Lampe, 2008), social support (LaRose et al., 2001), well-being (Valkenburg & Peter, 2007a), and loneliness (Fokkema & Knipscher, 2007).”
BackgroundInternet and Society: A Preliminary Report
Nie, N. H., & Erbring, L. (2001) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/2419.003.0037 · Cited by 766 · see citing works
Gosling, S. D., Augustine, A. A., Vazire, S., Holtzman, N. S., & Gaddis, S. (2011) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0087 · Cited by 620 · see citing works
Need for belonging, relationship satisfaction, loneliness, and life satisfaction
Mellor, D., Stokes, M., Firth, L., Hayashi, Y., & Cummins, R. (2008) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2008.03.020 · Cited by 598 · see citing works
Internet Use and Well‐Being in Adolescence
Gross, E. F., Juvonen, J., & Gable, S. L. (2002) · Journal of Social Issues · doi:10.1111/1540-4560.00249 · Cited by 581 · see citing works
Forest, A. L., & Wood, J. V. (2012) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797611429709 · Cited by 547 · see citing works
Sheldon, K. M., Abad, N., & Hinsch, C. (2011) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0022407 · Cited by 514 · see citing works
Dunbar, R. I. M., Marriott, A., & Duncan, N. D. C. (1997) · Human Nature · doi:10.1007/bf02912493 · Cited by 405 · see citing works
Ahn, J. (2011) · Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology · doi:10.1002/asi.21540 · Cited by 356 · see citing works
The functions of internet use and their social and psychological consequences
Weiser, E. B. (2001) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/109493101753376678 · Cited by 343 · see citing works
Internet Use and Its Relationship to Loneliness
Moody, E. J. (2001) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/109493101300210303 · Cited by 321 · see citing works
Computers, Phones, and the InternetDomesticating Information Technology
Kraut, R. E., Brynin, M., & Kiesler, S. B. (2006) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195312805.001.0001 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
The Oxford Handbook of Health Psychology
(2012) · Journal of Renal Nursing · doi:10.12968/jorn.2012.4.1.48b · Cited by 267 · see citing works
Mehl, M. R., Vazire, S., Holleran, S. E., & Clark, C. S. (2010) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797610362675 · Cited by 261 · see citing works
Self-citationLONELINESS RESEARCH: A SURVEY OF EMPIRICAL FINDINGS
Perlman, D., & Peplau, L. A. (1984) · Cited by 231 · see citing works
Reformulating the Internet paradox: Social cognitive explanations of Internet use and depression.
LaRose, R., Eastin, M. S., & Gregg, J. (2001) · Cited by 231 · see citing works
Fokkema, T., & Knipscheer, K. (2007) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607860701366129 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
Personal Relationships: On and Off the Internet
Boase, J., & Wellman, B. (2006) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511606632.039 · Cited by 213 · see citing works
Internet Communication and Its Relation to Well-Being: Identifying Some Underlying Mechanisms
Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2007) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213260709336802 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
A causal model of adolescent depression.
Brage, D., & Meredith, W. (1994) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980.1994.9712752 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Preventing the harmful consequences of severe and persistent loneliness.
Peplau, L. A., & Goldston, S. E. (1984) · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Communication Technology and Friendship During the Transition from High School to College
Kraut, R. E., Brynin, M., & Kiesler, S. B. (2006) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195312805.003.0018 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
(2008) · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Social Connectedness on Facebook - An Explorative Study on Status Message Usage
Köbler, F., Riedl, C., Vetter, C., Leimeister, J. M., & Krcmar, H. (2010) · Alexandria (UniSG) (University of St.Gallen) · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Considering the Interactions: The Effects of the Internet on Self and Society.
McKenna, K. Y. A., & Seidman, G. (2006) · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 52 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Aron A Melinat E Aron EN Vallone R Bator R A procedure and some preliminary findings Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 1997 23 363 377
- Gardner W Pickett C Knowles M Williams KD Forgas JP von Hippel W Social snacking and shielding: Using social symbols, selves, and surrogates in the service of belonging needs The social outcast: Ostracism, social exclusion, rejection, and bullying 2005 227 242 Psychology Press New York
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020) · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · doi:10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851 · Cited by 1,909 · see citing works
Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2018) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702617723376 · Cited by 1,705 · see citing works
Do social network sites enhance or undermine subjective well-being? A critical review
Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Résibois, M., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2017) · Social Issues and Policy Review · doi:10.1111/sipr.12033 · Cited by 1,209 · see citing works
Passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being: Experimental and longitudinal evidence.
Verduyn, P., Lee, D. S., Park, J., Shablack, H., Orvell, A., Bayer, J., Ybarra, O., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2015) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/xge0000057 · Cited by 988 · see citing works
The welfare effects of social media
Allcott, H., Braghieri, L., Eichmeyer, S., & Gentzkow, M. (2020) · American Economic Review · doi:10.1257/aer.20190658 · Cited by 857 · see citing works
Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a Digital World?
Nowland, R., Necka, E. A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2018) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691617713052 · Cited by 783 · see citing works
The Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale: An empirical investigation
Rosen, L. D., Whaling, K., Carrier, L. M., Cheever, N. A., & Rokkum, J. (2013) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.006 · Cited by 788 · see citing works
Social Networking Sites, Depression, and Anxiety: A Systematic Review
Seabrook, E. M., Kern, M. L., & Rickard, N. S. (2016) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/mental.5842 · Cited by 724 · see citing works
“Feelings of social connectedness may mediate the impact an increase in posting behavior has on decreasing loneliness [102].”
Burke, M., & Kraut, R. E. (2016) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/jcc4.12162 · Cited by 552 · see citing works
Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review
O’Day, E. B., & Heimberg, R. G. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior Reports · doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100070 · Cited by 560 · see citing works
Twenge, J. M., Spitzberg, B. H., & Campbell, W. K. (2019) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407519836170 · Cited by 520 · see citing works
Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2016) · Social Science Computer Review · doi:10.1177/0894439314567449 · Cited by 519 · see citing works
Social Network Sites and Well-Being: The Role of Social Connection
Clark, J. L., Algoe, S. B., & Green, M. C. (2018) · Current Directions in Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0963721417730833 · Cited by 451 · see citing works
Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2020) · International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2019.1646517 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
The Facebook experiment: Quitting Facebook leads to higher levels of well-being
Tromholt, M. (2016) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0259 · Cited by 419 · see citing works
Yang, C.-C. (2016) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0201 · Cited by 424 · see citing works
Social Media Elements, Ecologies, and Effects
Bayer, J. B., Triệu, P., & Ellison, N. B. (2020) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-050944 · Cited by 410 · see citing works
Oh, H. J., Kim, J., Chang, J. J. C., Park, N., & Lee, S. (2022) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2022.107498 · Cited by 402 · see citing works
Self-disclosure and social media: Motivations, mechanisms and psychological well-being
Luo, M., & Hancock, J. T. (2020) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.08.019 · Cited by 374 · see citing works
Utz, S. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.076 · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Thorisdottir, I. E., Sigurvinsdottir, R., Asgeirsdottir, B. B., Allegrante, J. P., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2019) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2019.0079 · Cited by 347 · see citing works
The emotional responses of browsing Facebook: Happiness, envy, and the role of tie strength
Lin, R., & Utz, S. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.064 · Cited by 349 · see citing works
The associations of active and passive social media use with well-being: A critical scoping review
Valkenburg, P. M., van Driel, I. I., & Beyens, I. (2022) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448211065425 · Cited by 324 · see citing works
The Emerging Neuroscience of Social Media
Meshi, D., Tamir, D. I., & Heekeren, H. R. (2015) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2015.09.004 · Cited by 322 · see citing works
Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2017) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2017.0156 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
Retracted: Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis
Liu, D., Baumeister, R. F., Yang, C.-C., & Hu, B. (2019) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1093/jcmc/zmz013 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
RetractedScott, H., & Woods, H. C. (2018) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.07.009 · Cited by 248 · see citing works
Jensen, M., George, M. J., Russell, M. R., & Odgers, C. L. (2019) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702619859336 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Zhao, N., & Zhou, G. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.635546 · Cited by 210 · see citing works
Hanna, E., Ward, L. M., Seabrook, R. C., Jerald, M. C., Reed, L. A., Giaccardi, S., & Lippman, J. R. (2017) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0247 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Tandon, A., Dhir, A., Talwar, S., Kaur, P., & Mäntymäki, M. (2021) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120931 · Cited by 238 · see citing works
Tandon, A., Kaur, P., Dhir, A., & Mäntymäki, M. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106487 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
Gerson, J., Plagnol, A. C., & Corr, P. (2017) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.05.034 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
How Social Are Social Media? A Review of Online Social Behaviour and Connectedness
Ryan, T., Allen, K., Gray, D. L., & McInerney, D. M. (2017) · Journal of Relationships Research · doi:10.1017/jrr.2017.13 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Social Sharing of Emotions on Facebook
Bazarova, N. N., Choi, Y. H., Sosik, V. S., Cosley, D., & Whitlock, J. L. (2015) · ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) · doi:10.1145/2675133.2675297 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Cheng, C., Wang, H.-Y., Sigerson, L., & Chau, C.-L. (2019) · Psychological bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000198 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Marengo, D., Montag, C., Sindermann, C., Elhai, J. D., & Settanni, M. (2021) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2020.101523 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Social media ostracism: The effects of being excluded online
Schneider, F. M., Zwillich, B., Bindl, M. J., Hopp, F. R., Reich, S., & Vorderer, P. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.03.052 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Threats to belonging on Facebook: Lurking and ostracism
Tobin, S. J., Vanman, E. J., Verreynne, M., & Saeri, A. K. (2015) · Social Influence · doi:10.1080/15534510.2014.893924 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses
Ahmed, O., Walsh, E. I., Dawel, A., Alateeq, K., Espinoza Oyarce, D. A., & Cherbuin, N. (2024) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.193 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Are you happy for me … on Facebook? The potential importance of “likes” and comments
Zell, A. L., & Moeller, L. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.050 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Castel, L. D., Wu, J. S., Lustig, S. L., Russell, D. W., & Nemecek, D. A. (2019) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/0890117119856551 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
Yang, C., Holden, S. M., & Ariati, J. (2021) · Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10567-021-00359-z · Cited by 156 · see citing works
The economic effects of Facebook
Mosquera, R., Odunowo, M., McNamara, T., Guo, X., & Petrie, R. (2019) · Experimental Economics · doi:10.1007/s10683-019-09625-y · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Escobar-Viera, C. G., Whitfield, D. L., Wessel, C. B., Shensa, A. S., Sidani, J. E., Brown, A. L., Chandler, C. J., Hoffman, B. L., Marshal, M. P., & Primack, B. A. (2018) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/10496 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Lin, R.-Y., & Utz, S. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.012 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Passive social network site use and subjective well-being: A moderated mediation model
Wu, C., Fan, C., Liu, Q., Zhou, Z., & Xie, X. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.038 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Narcissism and the use of personal pronouns revisited.
Carey, A. L., Brucks, M. S., Küfner, A. C. P., Holtzman, N. S., Deters, F. G., Back, M. D., Donnellan, M. B., Pennebaker, J. W., & Mehl, M. R. (2015) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspp0000029 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Self-citationFacebook use and its association with subjective happiness and loneliness
Phu, B., & Gow, A. J. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2018.11.020 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Social Exclusion in Everyday Life
Wesselmann, E. D., Grzybowski, M. R., Steakley-Freeman, D. M., DeSouza, E., Nezlek, J. B., & Williams, K. D. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-33033-4_1 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Active Social Network Sites Use and Loneliness: the Mediating Role of Social Support and Self-Esteem
Lin, S., Liu, D., Niu, G., & Longobardi, C. (2020) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-020-00658-8 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Smartphone Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Versus Physical Distancing
David, M. E., & Roberts, J. A. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18031034 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Matook, S., Cummings, J., & Bala, H. (2015) · Journal of Management Information Systems · doi:10.1080/07421222.2014.1001282 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Ellison, N. B., Triệu, P., Schoenebeck, S. Y., Brewer, R. N., & Israni, A. (2020) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1093/jcmc/zmaa013 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Karsay, K., Schmuck, D., Matthes, J., & Stevic, A. (2019) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2019.0255 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Another brick in the Facebook wall – How personality traits relate to the content of status updates
Winter, S., Neubaum, G., Eimler, S. C., Gordon, V., Theil, J., Herrmann, J., Meinert, J., & Krämer, N. C. (2014) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.048 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Habits and the electronic herd: the psychology behind social media’s successes and failures
Anderson, I. A., & Wood, W. (2021) · Consumer Psychology Review · doi:10.1002/arcp.1063 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
“…specific use behaviors in order to obtain anticipated rewards, all within the contexts in which social media is used personal status updates on Facebook has been associated with reduced feelings of loneliness (Deters & Mehl, 2013) along with increased feelings of social support (Seo et al., 2016).”
BackgroundFacebook in context(s): Measuring emotional responses across time and space
Bayer, J., Ellison, N. B., Schoenebeck, S. Y., Brady, E. L., & Falk, E. B. (2016) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444816681522 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Seo, M., Kim, J., & Yang, H. (2016) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/jcc4.12160 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Zero Likes—Symbolic interactions and need satisfaction online
Reich, S., Schneider, F. M., & Heling, L. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.10.043 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Kim, C., & Shen, C. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.106222 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Hancock, J., Liu, S. X., Luo, M., & Mieczkowski, H. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4053961 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Ceglarek, P. J. D., & Ward, L. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.051 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Self-disclosure on Facebook among female users and its relationship to feelings of loneliness
Al‐Saggaf, Y., & Nielsen, S. G. (2014) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.014 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Wang, K., Frison, E., Eggermont, S., & Vandenbosch, L. (2018) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.05.008 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Facebook friends, subjective well-being, social support, and personality
Lönnqvist, J., & Deters, F. G. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.09.002 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Self-citationYang, C., & Robinson, A. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2018.02.020 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Social networking sites and the experience of older adult users: a systematic review
Newman, L., Stoner, C. R., & Spector, A. E. (2019) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x19001144 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Genner, S., & Süss, D. (2017) · The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects · doi:10.1002/9781118783764.wbieme0138 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Toward improved methods in social media research.
Griffioen, N., van Rooij, M. M. J. W., Lichtwarck‐Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2020) · Technology Mind and Behavior · doi:10.1037/tmb0000005 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Emotional sentiment analysis of social media content for mental health safety
Benrouba, F., & Boudour, R. (2023) · Social Network Analysis and Mining · doi:10.1007/s13278-022-01000-9 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Wenninger, H., Krasnova, H., & Buxmann, P. (2018) · European Journal of Information Systems · doi:10.1080/0960085x.2018.1496883 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Exploring loneliness and social networking: Recipes for hedonic well-being on Facebook
Berezan, O., Krishen, A. S., Agarwal, S., & Kachroo, P. P. E. (2019) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.009 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Pang, H. (2020) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2020.101510 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Yin, X.-Q., de Vries, D. A., Gentile, D. A., & Wang, J.-L. (2019) · Social Science Computer Review · doi:10.1177/0894439318784908 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Using skype to beat the blues: Longitudinal data from a national representative sample
Teo, A. R., Markwardt, S., & Hinton, L. (2019) · The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2018.10.014 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Taking a Short Break from Instagram: The Effects on Subjective Well-Being
Fioravanti, G., Prostamo, A., & Casale, S. (2019) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2019.0400 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
The Welfare Effects of Social Media
Allcott, H., Braghieri, L., Eichmeyer, S., & Gentzkow, M. (2019) · doi:10.3386/w25514 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Kroencke, L., Harari, G. M., Back, M. D., & Wagner, J. (2022) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspp0000422 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Zheng, Y., Yang, X., Zhou, R., Niu, G., Liu, Q., & Zhou, Z. (2020) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106569 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Lai, F., Wang, L., Zhang, J., Shan, S., Chen, J., & Tian, L. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20043657 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Yu, R. P. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.019 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Metzler, A., & Scheithauer, H. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01981 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Social media use and happiness in adults with autism spectrum disorder
Ward, D. M., Dill-Shackleford, K. E., & Mazurek, M. O. (2018) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2017.0331 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Gao, Q., Jia, G., Zhao, J., & Zhang, D. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01810 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“, 2011; Deters and Mehl, 2013; Lemola et al., 2015; Sampasa-kanyinga and Hamilton, 2015), and poor physical outcomes (Douglas et al., 2008; Milani et al., 2009; Ross et al., 2009; Gosling et al., 2011). Moreover, Oulasvirta et al. (2012) suggested that excessive use of SNSs is an abnormal habit and SNS-related content…”
BackgroundKim, J. H., & Kim, Y. (2018) · Information Processing & Management · doi:10.1016/j.ipm.2018.10.018 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Why people use social networking sites passively
Zhu, X., & Bao, Z. (2018) · Aslib Journal of Information Management · doi:10.1108/ajim-12-2017-0270 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Values and Ethics in Information Systems
Spiekermann, S., Krasnova, H., Hinz, O. F., Baumann, A., Benlian, A., Gimpel, H., Heimbach, I., Köster, A., Maedche, A., Niehaves, B., et al. (2022) · Business & Information Systems Engineering · doi:10.1007/s12599-021-00734-8 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Bendall, S., Koval, P., Rice, S., Cagliarini, D., Valentine, L., D’Alfonso, S., Miles, C., Russon, P., Penn, D. L., et al. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024104 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Yoo, J. H., & Jeong, E. J. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.011 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Peltzer, K., & Pengpid, S. (2017) · Journal of Psychology in Africa · doi:10.1080/14330237.2017.1321851 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Schneider, F. M., Lutz, S., Halfmann, A., Meier, A., & Reinecke, L. (2021) · Mobile Media & Communication · doi:10.1177/20501579211054928 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Wolfers, L. N., Festl, R., & Utz, S. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106339 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Nitzburg, G. C., & Farber, B. A. (2013) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.22045 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Turel, O., & Bechara, A. (2016) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00455 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Abelsen, S. N., Vatne, S.-H., Mikalef, P., & Choudrie, J. (2021) · Information Technology and People · doi:10.1108/itp-12-2020-0870 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
van Ingen, E., Utz, S., & Toepoel, V. (2016) · Social Science Computer Review · doi:10.1177/0894439315600322 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Social Media, Friendship, and Happiness in the Millennial Generation
Manago, A. M., & Vaughn, L. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9603-3_11 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Henning, A., & Andreasson, J. (2019) · Communication & Sport · doi:10.1177/2167479519896326 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Social comparison orientation mediates the relationship between neuroticism and passive Facebook use
Rozgonjuk, D., Ryan, T., Kuljus, J. K., Täht, K., & Scott, G. G. (2019) · Cyberpsychology Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace · doi:10.5817/cp2019-1-2 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
- Authors
- Deters, F. G., & Mehl, M. R.
- Affiliations
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Corresponding author
- Deters, Fenne große
- Venue
- Social Psychological and Personality Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2012-12-20
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 579-586
- ISSN
- 1948-5506 (ISSN-L)
- 1948-5514
- PMC
- PMC3820167
- OpenAlex
- W2154975162
- Cited by
- 523
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 27 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 36 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 39.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Social Psychological and Personality Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Universitätsbibliothek der FU Berlin Hochschulschriftenstelle u. Dokumentenserver (other-oa)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD069498)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health via Writing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- Facebook, status updates, loneliness, online social networking, social connectedness, social feedback, social media use, self-disclosure
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
