Social media use and well-being: A prospective experience-sampling study

Abstract

Facebook and Instagram are currently the most popular Social Network Sites (SNS) for young adults. A large amount of research examined the relationship between these SNS and well-being, and possible intermediate constructs such as social comparison, self-esteem, and repetitive negative thinking (RNT). However, most of these studies have cross-sectional designs and use self-report indicators of SNS use. Therefore, their conclusions should be interpreted cautiously. Consequently, the goal of the current experience sampling study was to examine the temporal dynamics between objective indicators of SNS use, and self-reports of social comparison, RNT, and daily fluctuations in negative affect. More specifically, we assessed 98 participants 6 times per day during 14 days to examine reciprocal relationships between SNS use, negative affect, emotion regulation, and key psychological constructs. Results indicate that (1) both Facebook and Instagram use predicted reduced well-being, and (2) self-esteem and RNT appear to be important intermediate constructs in these relationships. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to further support and extend the current research findings.