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"If it is bad for me, why does it feel so good?" - A quantitative study on how Instagram use can influence young adults' mental health

Chouaf, Sofia (2023) "If it is bad for me, why does it feel so good?" - A quantitative study on how Instagram use can influence young adults' mental health.

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Abstract:Background: Social media use has been steadily rising for decades, reaching billions of people worldwide. Instagram, one of the most popular social media sites, now reaches a billion people online. The frequency and duration of Instagram use have also been rising exponentially. Most of Instagram’s users are between the ages of 18 to 34, so a big part of users is still in their mental developmental phase, and susceptible to social influences. Social media sites like Instagram facilitate social comparisons (SCF) by default. These can have negative effects on people’s mental health. Instagram also offers to fulfill some of the users’ social needs and offers certain gratifications (U&G framework). Little is known about how the positive impacts and gratifications of social media use can be maximized while minimizing its pitfalls concerning the mental well-being of the users. Objective: Therefore, this study is focused on the effect of young adults’ Instagram use duration and frequency on their mental well-being with moderations such as the fulfillment of the needs for self-expression and social connectedness. Method: This study was done by using an online questionnaire being answered by 144 young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 (Mage = 24.7; 73.7% female).
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies BSc (56615)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/96510
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