Effects of Passive vs. Active Social Media Across Different Ages
In recent years, much research has been done into the negative effects of social media on mental health. In particular, it has been linked to an increase in anxiety and depression among its users. However, other studies have found that social media can often be used to reduce social isolation and find community online. Therefore individuals may experience different mental health outcomes from social media based on their needs, and they may benefit from different forms of online engagement, such as passive or active usage. Active social media usage, such as posting or engaging online, can affect certain demographics differently than passive usage, such as viewing content. A recent study conducted in 2023 observed the effects of social media usage on the mental health status of different age groups in order to better understand differing outcomes of social media usage.
The study monitored the Facebook usage of 925 volunteers between the ages of 17 and 97 from university pools as well as MTurk, a digital job market. Questionnaires were used to collect data on the participants’ social media habits and mental health. Mental health was measured on a 21-item depression, anxiety, and stress scale, whereby the volunteers were asked to rank themselves in several categories which generated an overall quantifiable score of mental ill-being. Overall, the data displayed a positive correlation between mental ill-being and passive social media usage, meaning that when age is not considered people are negatively impacted by passive social media usage. The team then measured the same relationship but split the data into the older and younger halves of the participants. The researchers found a significant positive correlation between mental ill-being and passive Facebook use amongst the younger group, signifying that passive usage negatively impacted mental health. In contrast, there was a significant negative correlation amongst the older participants, meaning that passive use resulted in better mental health.
The study monitored the Facebook usage of 925 volunteers between the ages of 17 and 97 from university pools as well as MTurk, a digital job market. Questionnaires were used to collect data on the participants’ social media habits and mental health. Mental health was measured on a 21-item depression, anxiety, and stress scale, whereby the volunteers were asked to rank themselves in several categories which generated an overall quantifiable score of mental ill-being. Overall, the data displayed a positive correlation between mental ill-being and passive social media usage, meaning that when age is not considered people are negatively impacted by passive social media usage. The team then measured the same relationship but split the data into the older and younger halves of the participants. The researchers found a significant positive correlation between mental ill-being and passive Facebook use amongst the younger group, signifying that passive usage negatively impacted mental health. In contrast, there was a significant negative correlation amongst the older participants, meaning that passive use resulted in better mental health.
Younger users benefited from active social media engagement while older users benefited from passive engagement.
Image Source: Pixabay
This information could be used to promote healthy social media habits for all age demographics. The researchers theorized that younger individuals might benefit from being more proactive online and gaining relationships with others. Older individuals might benefit from passively consuming content that they enjoy instead of worrying about how to engage. While more research needs to be done to confirm these findings, this study does indicate that the effects of social media are not universal and that future studies should be mindful of the composition of their participants. Rather than analyzing the effects of social media on the public at large, individuals can benefit from finding out how different forms of engagement impact their particular lifestyles to better understand the impact of these platforms.
Featured Image Source: Anna Shvets
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