A new experiment has introduced a tool that helps group users into three styles of social media use: passive, reactive, or interactive.
It shows that these styles are related to psychological well-being, with interactive people feeling more socially connected.
The study aimed to understand how social media use affects our feelings of loneliness and belonging.
How it was tested
The specialists created a computerized task called the SNS Behavior Task (SNSBT) to measure social media styles.
They tested this on 526 individuals and asked them about their loneliness, sense of belonging, and Facebook usage.
The test identified three user groups:
- Passive ones: They often clicked "Next" on images (39% of participants).
- Reactive ones: They mostly clicked "Next" or "Like" (35.4% of participants).
- Interactive ones: They mainly clicked "Like" or "Share" (25.7% of participants).
The study shows that interactive people had more Facebook friends, spent more time on the platform, and felt more socially connected.
However, it couldn't determine if these factors had a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Why its important
The researchers hope that this tool can help in studying how different social media usage styles affect well-being, and it can enhance future research in the field of cyberpsychology.
They also emphasize that how you engage on social media may be more important for your well-being than the time you spend on it.
