Me, my selfie and I - social media and psychology

Who’s online? Why? Are we friends?

Adult internet users spend around 4 hours online per day, some much more. Whether at home, on the go, on our phones or at the laptop, being online is not just about learning or working - much of our time is spent on social media of some form. In the UK, on average, 18-24-year-old TikTok visitors spent an average 55 minutes on TikTok per day, while the 3.8 million 18-24-year-old Snapchat visitors spent 58 minutes per day. Perhaps surprisingly, according to the University of Kingston, considering that they did not grow up with social media, 64% of people in the UK between the ages of 50 and 64 use such channels on a frequent basis.

Social media, internet and iPhones potentially present us with many benefits and can enrich people’s lives, both personally and professionally. Also, from a business point of view, social media has become a key link between brands, influencers, celebrities, their existing and potential adherents and fans.

However, there can be a ‘down side’. The latest official Ofcom report in the United Kingdom has presented worrying findings regarding usage and effects of iPhone use and, in particular, certain aspects of social media use and misuse; as well as examining the users’ attitudes and feelings about social media and online presence.

Some of the negative findings are not entirely new to the public domain - sadly, issues such as cyber bullying, stalking and conspiracy spreading are prevalent, but with each year there is a growing body of research regarding social media and its effects, notably from the point of view of psychology and mental health. There are good things about social media too, such as community, affiliation and entertainment.

This is a short introductory module to the area which aims to present a useful overview into various key aspects of social media usage and effects, positive and negative, from a psychological perspective across the age span and in various contexts.

Online social networks have many potential effects on individual mental health. Some are negative (such as excessive use linked to depression, anxiety, violence, addiction, and body image distortions). However, social networks also have several benefits for individual health - consider community, connection and affiliation, as well as the opportunities presented to businesses and brands, in the widest sense, from influencers and pop stars to companies and public information.

Key areas of focus are usage, attitudes, and effects - both negative and positive - in a lecture and discussion format, which also includes self-directed elements.

Introduction to the module

Background of social media and related psychology

Motivations for using social media

Benefits of social media-Community, self-expression, connection, affiliation, information, support and activism

Social media across lifespan- pre teen, adolescents, and later years/ ‘silver surfers’

Social media and depression/anxieties

Not your ‘friends’ after all! Cyber-bullying, stalking and conspiracy

Habit, compulsion, addiction

Being who I want to be- self-perception, selfies, fashion & filters; social comparison.

From Cooks to K-Pop- parasocial relationships & social media

We’re your friends: Brands, advertising, promotion and building consumer involvement.

Module reflection session

Core texts: to be confirmed

Ahmed, J. O. (2023) Social media psychology and mental health. Middle East Current Psychiatry. Vol 30

MacMahon, C. (2019) Social Media (The Psychology of Everything). Routledge; UK

ONLINE NATION https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/272288/online-nation-2023-report.pdf

Recommended

Federer, J. (2020) The Hidden Psychology of Social Networks: How Brands Create Authentic Engagement by Understanding What Motivates Us. MacGraw Hill; USA

Supporting Course pack of key reading articles in pdf format:

Al-Menayes, J. (2015) Motivations for Using Social Media: An Exploratory Factor Analysis. International Journal of Psychological Studies; Vol. 7, No. 1

American Psychological Association (2023) Health Advisory on Social Media

Use in Adolescence.

https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use.pdf

Ballantine, P. (2005) Forming parasocial relationships in online communities. Advances in consumer research. Vol 32

Bibi & Abbasi (2022) Cyber Stalking: Sociological and Psychological Perspective.

Global sociological Review Vol 7 (1)

Chakraborty, S. (2021) Cyberbullying: A Review of the Literature. SSRN electronic Journal https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349987680

Chua & Chang (2016) Follow me and like my beautiful selfies: Singapore teenage girls’ engagement in self-presentation and peer comparison on social media. Computers in human behavior 55 190-197

Ghafar, Z. (2024) The Positive and Negative Aspects of Social media platforms in many Fields, Academic and Non-academic. JOURNAL OF DIGITAL LEARNING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION

Gomez Lacap et al (2024) Parasocial relationships and

social media interactions: building brand credibility and loyalty. Spanish Journal of Marketing -Vol. 28 No.1

Jinghang Xu (2022) Motivations for Social Media Use

By Life Stage and Gender. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 670

Moiz Khan & Tzu-Han (2023) Causes and consequences of social media addiction. University of Bournemouth

ile:///C:/Users/johnn/Downloads/CausesandConsequencesofSocialMediaAddiction-MoizandLin.docx3.pdf

Soyler, H.C. (2023) Social media Psychology. The Turkish Journal on Addictions

Sung et al (2016) Why we post selfies: Understanding motivations for posting pictures of oneself. Personality and individual differences, 97, 260-265

Yi JI et al (2023) The Causes, Effects, and Interventions of Social Media

Addiction. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol 8

Who’s online? Why? Are we friends?

Adult internet users spend around 4 hours online per day, some much more. Whether at home, on the go, on our phones or at the laptop, being online is not just about learning or working - much of our time is spent on social media of some form. In the UK, on average, 18-24-year-old TikTok visitors spent an average 55 minutes on TikTok per day, while the 3.8 million 18-24-year-old Snapchat visitors spent 58 minutes per day. Perhaps surprisingly, according to the University of Kingston, considering that they did not grow up with social media, 64% of people in the UK between the ages of 50 and 64 use such channels on a frequent basis.

Social media, internet and iPhones potentially present us with many benefits and can enrich people’s lives, both personally and professionally. Also, from a business point of view, social media has become a key link between brands, influencers, celebrities, their existing and potential adherents and fans.

However, there can be a ‘down side’. The latest official Ofcom report in the United Kingdom has presented worrying findings regarding usage and effects of iPhone use and, in particular, certain aspects of social media use and misuse; as well as examining the users’ attitudes and feelings about social media and online presence.

Some of the negative findings are not entirely new to the public domain - sadly, issues such as cyber bullying, stalking and conspiracy spreading are prevalent, but with each year there is a growing body of research regarding social media and its effects, notably from the point of view of psychology and mental health. There are good things about social media too, such as community, affiliation and entertainment.

This is a short introductory module to the area which aims to present a useful overview into various key aspects of social media usage and effects, positive and negative, from a psychological perspective across the age span and in various contexts.

Online social networks have many potential effects on individual mental health. Some are negative (such as excessive use linked to depression, anxiety, violence, addiction, and body image distortions). However, social networks also have several benefits for individual health - consider community, connection and affiliation, as well as the opportunities presented to businesses and brands, in the widest sense, from influencers and pop stars to companies and public information.

Key areas of focus are usage, attitudes, and effects - both negative and positive - in a lecture and discussion format, which also includes self-directed elements.

Introduction to the module

Background of social media and related psychology

Motivations for using social media

Benefits of social media-Community, self-expression, connection, affiliation, information, support and activism

Social media across lifespan- pre teen, adolescents, and later years/ ‘silver surfers’

Social media and depression/anxieties

Not your ‘friends’ after all! Cyber-bullying, stalking and conspiracy

Habit, compulsion, addiction

Being who I want to be- self-perception, selfies, fashion & filters; social comparison.

From Cooks to K-Pop- parasocial relationships & social media

We’re your friends: Brands, advertising, promotion and building consumer involvement.

Module reflection session

Core texts: to be confirmed

Ahmed, J. O. (2023) Social media psychology and mental health. Middle East Current Psychiatry. Vol 30

MacMahon, C. (2019) Social Media (The Psychology of Everything). Routledge; UK

ONLINE NATION https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/272288/online-nation-2023-report.pdf

Recommended

Federer, J. (2020) The Hidden Psychology of Social Networks: How Brands Create Authentic Engagement by Understanding What Motivates Us. MacGraw Hill; USA

Supporting Course pack of key reading articles in pdf format:

Al-Menayes, J. (2015) Motivations for Using Social Media: An Exploratory Factor Analysis. International Journal of Psychological Studies; Vol. 7, No. 1

American Psychological Association (2023) Health Advisory on Social Media

Use in Adolescence.

https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use.pdf

Ballantine, P. (2005) Forming parasocial relationships in online communities. Advances in consumer research. Vol 32

Bibi & Abbasi (2022) Cyber Stalking: Sociological and Psychological Perspective.

Global sociological Review Vol 7 (1)

Chakraborty, S. (2021) Cyberbullying: A Review of the Literature. SSRN electronic Journal https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349987680

Chua & Chang (2016) Follow me and like my beautiful selfies: Singapore teenage girls’ engagement in self-presentation and peer comparison on social media. Computers in human behavior 55 190-197

Ghafar, Z. (2024) The Positive and Negative Aspects of Social media platforms in many Fields, Academic and Non-academic. JOURNAL OF DIGITAL LEARNING AND DISTANCE EDUCATION

Gomez Lacap et al (2024) Parasocial relationships and

social media interactions: building brand credibility and loyalty. Spanish Journal of Marketing -Vol. 28 No.1

Jinghang Xu (2022) Motivations for Social Media Use

By Life Stage and Gender. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 670

Moiz Khan & Tzu-Han (2023) Causes and consequences of social media addiction. University of Bournemouth

ile:///C:/Users/johnn/Downloads/CausesandConsequencesofSocialMediaAddiction-MoizandLin.docx3.pdf

Soyler, H.C. (2023) Social media Psychology. The Turkish Journal on Addictions

Sung et al (2016) Why we post selfies: Understanding motivations for posting pictures of oneself. Personality and individual differences, 97, 260-265

Yi JI et al (2023) The Causes, Effects, and Interventions of Social Media

Addiction. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol 8