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how jobs get paid different amount of money

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how jobs get paid different amount of money

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Who decided it

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who came up with them

why only 26

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how does it work

why does cellular only work sometimes

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who determines whether you qualify

why do they never treat them good

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just like how does it work fr

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who do they know where there going

how does it mess up cell towers

how do they fly but we cant

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how can they fly

how do they know where to migrate

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why do we have to sneeze

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I was thinking about this too

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This topic also makes me curious

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and why do other languages add letters to the alphabet?

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I hate that they just like float in the sky and somehow you can make it go different directions with just a stick.

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at what age should a child be able to have a phone or technology

physical effects

mental effects

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This documentary was about how big tech companies use manipulation to create an addictive device. Throughout the film they talk about many ways social media is bad for you and the effects it can have on users. One of the things they mentioned was "Body Dysmorphia", after they spoke on this I realized I didn't know much about it so for my next text I wanted to dive deeper into the mental health affects that social media creates, such as body dysmorphia. I found this next text by searching how social media can influence body dysmorphia.

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After reading the article on body dysmorphia I started to wonder about other disorders that social media can cause. One that was brought up a couple of times in the article was "Snapchat Dysmorphia". I have also heard of this but never really knew what it was. So for my next article, I decided to look up Snapchat Dysmorphia, how its started and what it does to the mind.

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Toledo Center | Eating Disorders Treatment Center

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Social media is a popular tool for communication and entertainment. Few people would question the fact that people are spending an increasing amount of time on these new media platforms. In recent years, social media has become much more visual in presentation and layout. However, it's the evolution of the technology used to manipulate and alter images that have researchers concerned as the lines blur between social perception and reality, especially when it comes to the development of body dysmorphia.

Social Perception vs Reality

The journalist Katie Couric made headlines when she shared an unedited selfie of herself without makeup. She shared the image of herself to draw attention to social media's impact on body image. Couric was encouraging people to embrace their natural self and not be ashamed. Mental health professionals are concerned that unknowingly viewing heavily edited images can create a sense of body dysmorphia in the viewers. The term "Snapchat dysmorphia" has become an increasingly common phrase.

In the past decades, people have become accustomed to seeing heavily edited images in advertisements. The fact that individuals in these ads have been airbrushed either physically or digitally is not a surprise. But now the technology has advanced to a level where the common social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat all have heavily edited photos. These images can portray an unrealistic and unattainable reality. Social media's impact on body image can lead to body dysmorphia as viewers and users try to attain the unattainable.

The question is whether social media users are aware that these images of average, everyday people are altered using newer digital filters. The brain of the viewer who is looking at the image may not realize that it has been altered. This lack of awareness can have a negative impact on the viewer's personal body image, and potentially lead to an eating disorder like body dysmorphia.

Does Social Media Cause Body Dysmorphia?

Image and video editing software have been around for many years. What's changed is that now there are downloadable apps that offer high-tech image filtering capabilities. Now almost anybody can modify a photo on their smartphone, with no previous experience required. Photo editing applications like Adobe Lightroom or Facetune make it easy for users to boost color saturation, clear up one's complexion, or whiten a person's teeth.

If you're wondering, "does social media cause body dysmorphia?" The answer is that it may be a contributing factor. The fact that software can alter reality is not problematic. Issues occur when the people who are viewing the images are not aware that they're looking at a distorted and edited reality. These edited images may present body image concepts that are physically unrealistic. Yet, due to the everyday, common feel of many social media platforms, viewers are sometimes tricked into believing they're looking at unedited photos, which can lead to social media body dysmorphia.

Recent articles in the JAMA state that plastic surgeons are increasingly receiving requests to make patients look like their selfie images. Again, this is because photo editing software is becoming the norm, which is altering people's perception of beauty and their overall body image.

The growth in cases of what some researchers are calling "Snapchat dysmorphia" or social media body dysmorphia can negatively impact people's self-esteem. If severe enough, these self-esteem and body image issues can develop into body dysmorphia.

Other studies show that there's not only a correlation between body dysmorphia and social media, but there's also a correlation between social media use and eating disorders like orthorexia. People with this disease excessively focus on what they consider healthy eating. In doing this, they can damage their physical health. Studies have also shown a correlation between orthorexia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). And some studies are pointing to a link between Instagram users and signs of orthorexia.

Broader research has shown that there is a definite correlation between social media usage and negative feelings. A recent study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicated that the more time individuals spent on social media websites, the more isolated and lonelier they felt. Researchers believe that social media websites expose people to "highly idealized representations" of other people's lives. This, in turn, creates feelings of envy as well as a distorted belief that other people are happier and more successful.

As more studies are conducted, it appears that the heavy consumption of social media content can lead to negative consequences. There's a strong tie between body dysmorphia and social media. And although social media alone may not create eating disorders, like body dysmorphia, and other mental health concerns, it can exacerbate a pre-existing problem. For additional information about this body image dysmorphia or eating disorders in general, please reach out to us.

Treatment for Body Dysmorphia

At Toledo Center, we provide high-quality, compassionate treatment for eating disorders, including body image dysmorphia. We provide individualized care for each client in a state-of-the-art treatment environment. Our treatment is an effective and safe alternative to hospitals or hospital-based programs.

If you're struggling with social perception vs reality when it comes to your body image, we're here to help. Call us today at 419-885-8800 or complete our contact form.

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Body Dysmorphia, Social Media & Image Filters | Toledo Center

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Social media can be harmful due to filtered and edited content, leading to body image issues and body dysmorphia

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This text about body dysmorphia led me to think about what would happen if we cut out social media. Would things like this not happen anymore? Would our problems be fixed? So for my next article, I decided to test that theory and look up an experiment on social media to see what would happen. Thus leading to the social media experiment.

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You've never looked better: Your skin is poreless, your nose looks small, your lips look plump, and you're doe-eyed. You're ready to hit "post" for the world to see. Cue the likes.

Problem is: Is this really you?

With filters on social media like Instagram and Snapchat, flattering lighting, perfect poses, and editing apps that can make you look like a thinner version of yourself (with perfect skin, to boot), we've entered into the era of selfie perfection. But, some experts say, all this social media flawlessness is seeping from our phones and invading our real lives. More people are thinking: I want to look like that - and going to great lengths to get there.

The trend, what some people are calling "Snapchat dysmorphia," is real - and getting more potent every year. According to 2017 data from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), 55 percent of fascial plastic surgeons say patients have requested cosmetic procedures to look better on social media - an increase of 13 percent from the year before.

A paper published in August 2018 in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery noted that airbrushing used to be just for celebs. People saw how perfect they looked on the covers of magazines but knew it took a village to get them there. That certainly made its own impact on society's standards of beauty, but things have taken a different turn today. Filters, lighting, and other social media tricks have introduced this drive for perfection to the masses: "A quick share on Instagram, and the likes and comments start rolling in. These filters and edits have become the norm, altering people's perception of beauty worldwide," the authors write.

While seeing your own imperfections in the mirror is nothing new, having the knowledge about what you could look like without them is. "The more time people spend on social media, the more their brains are being affected by the content they are exposing themselves to. For some, this means it encourages them to view their own, natural appearance as being unacceptable," says Patrick J. Byrne, MD, board member of the AAFPRS and professor and director of the division of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. (Indeed, for Everyday Health's United States of Stress story, when asked whether they felt bad about their appearance for any reason, the majority reported with a resounding "yes." About 22 percent of respondents said they felt bad about themselves on a daily basis.)

Adding to the problem: There's a desire to repetitively view your social media accounts throughout the day, as they update constantly. In Everyday Health's stress survey, 57 percent of respondents, including baby boomers and those among Generation Z, reported looking at their social media accounts daily.

This "constant checker"- as dubbed by the American Psychological Association, which represents 86 percent of people according to their 2017 Stress in America report - experiences more daily stress than someone who looks at it less often. In fact, 42 percent say they worry about the negative impact social media has on their health; only 27 percent of non-regular checkers say the same. Add to it aesthetic pressures, and you have a recipe for stress, anxiety, and mood problems.

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Plastic surgeons are seeing this play out in their offices regularly. Typically, when patients come in for a consult, they hold a mirror and, using a Q-tip, point to the areas they'd like to change. Today, these "flaws" may only be seen in a selfie - not a mirror. "[Patients] find it far easier to show me with photos on their phone. They point out imperfections - the nasal tip is too big, the nose is crooked, they have a double chin - that in some cases are next to impossible to see in person," says Dr. Byrne. This may be an inevitable result of spending a good chunk of time looking at your own photos, he says.

Dwelling on those perceived imperfections or flaws can make anyone feel terrible. "This habit can trigger a sense of insecurity, which can lead to a stress response in the body," says Sari Shepphird, PhD, a body image specialist and psychologist in Los Angeles.This can lead to a cyclical pattern of negative thoughts. You're stressed about a flaw, feel as if you need to change your appearance, then spend time and resources doing so, which can create more stress, she says.

The desire to "fix" these imperfections may hit young women the hardest, says Mark Schwartz, MD, a plastic surgeon in New York City, who adds that this group often asks for injectable fillers and Botox, as well as breast augmentation and liposuction to appear like the celebrities they see on social media. "They have grown accustomed to seeing themselves in a somewhat distorted way: on a tiny screen and in photos that have been edited to remove imperfections and take advantage of lighting tricks," he says.

Sam Rizk, MD, a facial plastic surgeon in New York City, also agrees that it's millennials who are hyperfocused on how they appear on Instagram and Snapchat. "Selfies taken with a ring light and using editing apps and filters can distort [someone's] self-image. The Kardashians practically invented this phenomenon," he says.

The difference today is the fixation on the small things that people may not have bothered to become consumed with before. "Patients are more obsessed about small imperfections. They like the way they look after they experiment with filters and editing apps. Their tolerance for a bump on their nose, acne breakouts, a little thigh bulge, or thin lips seems to be a little lower than previous generations," says Dr. Schwartz.
RELATED: How to Maintain a Healthy Body Image
Can Snapchat Trigger Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Many people are concerned that relying on these filters and projecting a heavily edited image of yourself to the world can not only severely impact users' self-esteem but their mental health, too. As the authors of the JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery paper wrote: "The pervasiveness of these filtered images can take a toll on one's self-esteem, make one feel inadequate for not looking a certain way in the real world, and may even act as a trigger and lead to body dysmorphic disorder."

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental illness that can lead affected individuals to have frequent thoughts about their appearance; seek constant reassurance from others that they look okay; check their appearance in the mirror or other reflective surfaces repeatedly; avoid social situations to prevent others from seeing them; and use hats, scarves, and makeup to conceal the perceived flaw, according to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). People with BDD also often seek cosmetic surgeries to "fix" their perceived imperfections.

IOCDF notes that while typically everyone has at least one part of their appearance that they don't like, BDD goes beyond seeing (and even being bothered by) physical imperfections. Those who have BDD are consumed by thoughts about their flaws, which "may cause severe emotional distress and interfere with daily functioning," according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). It's something that affects about 1 in 50 people, mostly young, and women and men in equal amounts, the ADAA says. Someone with BDD is likely to respond to social media images in a far more intense way, says Dr. Shepphird. "The idea that one is being shamed for their appearance and doesn't match the standard of perfection can increase the risk of depression, [and cause] elevated levels of anxiety and a general distortion of their perception of themselves," she says.

Yet the development of BDD is multifactorial; genetics and brain chemistry can play a role, for instance. It often co-occurs with other conditions, like depression, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In fact, BDD is considered an obsessive-compulsive-related disorder, notes the International OCD Foundation. Both BDD and OCD are marked by obsession; in people with BDD, this obsession is body focused.

Previous research published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry analyzed brain scans of 12 people with BDD and concluded that these patients do indeed process others' faces differently compared with control subjects. But that clearly was before the era of selfies. A more recent study, published in July 2015 in the journal Psychological Medicine, found that both those suffering from anorexia nervosa or BDD have abnormal activity in areas of the brain that process images as a whole - they may be wired to home in on the "flawed" details rather than the overall picture.

So, it's easy to see why social media can be so damaging for people with BDD. Whether Snapchat is a trigger is up for debate, but it's likely not the only driving factor. "I don't think in of itself social media causes BDD, but rather exacerbates [existing] BDD," says Talia Wiesel, PhD, a psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry in the OCD and related disorders program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Social media can prompt repetitive behaviors in someone with BDD, like making comparisons with others. This can make people worry more about how they look, says Katharine Phillips, MD, psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, who adds that many of her patients report that social media images are a source of stress for them. While what happens in the brain of those with BDD when viewing social media hasn't been studied, she says, "it's possible that that activity increases in parts of the brain known as the orbitofrontal cortex and caudate, areas that tend to be hyperactive in people with BDD, which probably reflects obsessional thoughts."

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For these people, habits like taking excessive selfies and analyzing them for flaws can be damaging. "They often make people feel worse and can fuel more BDD repetitive preoccupations," says Dr. Phillips. "Because there are so many gorgeous celebrities to compare oneself with - it isn't surprising that people with BDD (and those without BDD, too) often feel worse after they compare themselves with these images. In addition, people with BDD not only underestimate their own attractiveness but also tend to overestimate the attractiveness of others, which makes this problem even worse," she says.

Dr. Wiesel points out that research, published in December 2015 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, showed that social media is correlated with body dissatisfaction and the desire to change one's appearance, but this alone doesn't mean someone has BDD. For those who do have BDD, social media use may go hand-in-hand with obsessive comparisons with celebrities or friends who, too, may be spending hours curating, enhancing, and retouching their photos. "BDD can lead these patients to engage in another compulsion - seeking plastic surgery," Wiesel says. Problem is, as Shepphird adds, "we found plastic surgery doesn't make BDD go away, but it intensifies it."

It's tempting to call your filtered photos the "best version of yourself," but what is that really saying? "It's the extent to which we are bothered by our flaws that determines if this is problematic," says Wiesel. Those with BDD may be so consumed by their appearance that it impacts their relationships, work, and social life.

But even if someone doesn't develop BDD, the desire to airbrush your flaws away remains damaging. The trend "may be encouraging young people to put far too much emphasis on their own personal appearance than they should," says Byrne. "Granted, this has always been a concern in our society. But this obsession for which we are biologically predisposed can be perversely incentivized by the pernicious effect of 'likes' and 'followers' on one's behavior and priorities," he adds.

Indeed, a study published in September 2018 in the journal Body Image on undergraduate collage women found that those who placed more emphasis on Instagram likes were more likely to compare their appearance with others and be dissatisfied with their facial features. Beyond BDD, research published in June 2018 in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking found that platforms like Instagram and Snapchat were linked to a hyperfocus on one's body appearance and eating disorders.
RELATED: It Took Me 59 Years to Love My Body
How Plastic Surgeons Are Screening Patients for BDD

Even before Snapchat filters were a thing, plastic surgeons were aware of the need to screen patients for BDD. Byrne coauthored a study published in the March-April 2015 issue of the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery that emphasized the need for these patients to be identified before undergoing surgery. Plastic surgery is not a treatment for BDD, but can exacerbate it.

If you are seeking plastic surgery and using a selfie as a reference point, a good plastic surgeon should provide a realistic idea of achievable results. "I prefer to have a discussion about how all human beings have facial imperfections, and most are simply irrelevant. The existence of an imperfection is not an indication for an intervention," says Byrne.

"Aesthetic plastic surgeons today need to be part surgeon and part therapist," adds Schwartz. He says that surgical consultations should last at least an hour, to talk about realistic goals. "If I don't think their requests are reasonable, I'll always tell patients that up front. Surgery is serious business that comes with some risks. There is never a guarantee, as it's not a perfect science. It isn't something that should be considered lightly," he says.

If a patient shows signs of BDD, Dr. Rizk says he won't operate, and instead may consider referring them to therapy. The desire to look like an airbrushed photo of yourself is not realistic, experts say. "We are surgeons, not magicians," says Rizk.
RELATED: 9 Patient-Approved Tips for Choosing a Therapist
How to Change Your Social Media Habits for a Better Self-Image

If you think you may have BDD, seek help from a mental health professional. But even if you don't have BDD and feel like your social media presence is making you hyperaware of perceived flaws, you can take steps to develop a better relationship with your social media use. Here's how:

Be realistic. You're not going to give up all of your social media accounts. Instead, "think about your screen use. How can you be mindful and intentional when you're on?" says Wiesel. Rather than automatically grabbing your phone during moments of downtime, ask yourself why you're opening up that app and what you need to accomplish.

Inventory your self-worth. This takes some introspection, but ultimately it's worth it. "Take stock of the major areas of your life that make up who you are. Reminding yourself in an image-obsessed world that you're more than your appearance sounds cheesy, but it's important," says Wiesel.

Give yourself a break. "Some of the things we'd say to ourselves are things we'd never say to another person," says Wiesel. She suggests practicing mindfulness for one to two minutes a day. Focus on the thoughts and feelings that pop into your head criticizing your appearance. Notice them, but don't judge or criticize yourself for having them. "Part of being human is being imperfect," she says.

Don't go there. If you haven't started using filters or editing apps, don't even start, says Wiesel.

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Consider curating your feed. It's impossible to get away from messages about society's standards of beauty, and you shouldn't aim to avoid them at all costs either. The ultimate goal is to be able to see these messages and not compare yourself with them, says Wiesel. But if your social media feed is overrun by people who make you feel bad about yourself, ask yourself why you continue to follow them. You might consider following other accounts that reinforce positivity and are not image focused.

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What Is 'Snapchat Dysmorphia'? A Detailed Look at the Trend

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You've never looked better: Your skin is poreless, your nose looks small, your lips look plump, and you're doe-eyed. You're ready to hit "post" for the world to see. Cue the likes. Problem is: Is this really you?

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After solidifying my theory and looking at what would happen if we cut out social media, I then wondered about the consequences. Social media can contribute to FOMO, something I have gone through, and I was wondering if cutting it out creates more FOMO or if it would keep it the same. This next article is about the how social media boosts FOMO.

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I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked.

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Are you spending too much time on social media? If you’d like to break the habit, you can try a few different techniques. One would be to quit cold turkey for a full month. If that sounds too extreme, you can avoid social media at certain times, like after dinner or before breakfast. Blocker tools l…

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This article about FOMO caused me to think about yes social media is harmful to an extent but what are the pros. Most of these articles fail to mention the positives of social media. For my next text I chose one that focused on the positives, in order to be fully engaged in the conversation I need to see all sides and points of views good and bad.

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If you were to open Instagram, Facebook, or your social media platform of choice right now, what would you see? Would you see meaningful updates from your close friends? Or a barrage of acquaintances going on exciting trips, accomplishing great things, and having fun? Most of the time, we see the latter. As you may expect, the onslaught of unachievably exciting lives can affect how we view our own.

Comparing ourselves to other people who seem to be doing better than us (called upward comparison) can make us feel like we don't measure up. Social media amplifies these negative effects, because we're often viewing photos and updates from people we don't know very well in real life. Seeing "highlight reels" from acquaintances or strangers affects us negatively because when we don't know people very well, it's easy to forget that their lives aren't as perfect as they appear on social media. Comparing ourselves to others on social media affects our self-esteem , perceptions of ourselves, depressive symptoms, and mood. These effects are especially strong among people who are more sensitive to social comparisons in general. If you find that you frequently compare yourself to others in your daily life and place a lot of importance on those comparisons, you're at high risk for feeling worse after using social media.

When we see other social media users' highlight reels, we often experience a "fear of missing out", or "FOMO". FOMO describes the anxiety we feel when it seems that others are having rewarding experiences without us. FOMO isn't exclusive to social media, but browsing social media sets us up for experiencing it. Imagine you're happy to stay home on a Friday night, but when you're scrolling through social media while sitting on the couch, it looks like everyone you know is having a great time. You might feel like you're missing out on the fun. Indeed, people who are very engaged in social media use experience more FOMO than those who use social media less intensely. Experiencing FOMO is not only distressing, it may actually be bad for our health. On the days that we experience a lot of FOMO, we're more likely to be in a bad mood, feel fatigued and stressed, and even more likely to have sleep problems and physical symptoms.

Using social media has benefits too, such as keeping in touch with friends, expressing ourselves, and getting support from our social networks. So how can we ease the negative effects of social media use on our well-being without losing the benefits of it? Here are some best practices for healthy social media use, based on research:

1. Use social media in moderation. The negative effects of social media often occur when social media is used very frequently, or at the expense of maintaining relationships offline. Social media can be a great tool for connecting with other people. Although we can experience FOMO when we learn about fun events after-the-fact, social media can also be a great way to find out about events we are able to attend. Social media can complement a healthy, fulfilling social life when used in moderation. To reduce your social media use, try using Moment or another activity-tracking smartphone app to monitor the time you spend on social media and set realistic goals for reducing your social media time and replacing it with more fulfilling activities.

2. Focus on your friends more than your acquaintances. We can use social media to keep in touch with people who live far away and to see what our friends are doing. Viewing close friends' posts is less likely to provoke the upward social comparison that harms our well-being than viewing acquaintances' or strangers' posts.

3. Share updates from your own life in a mindful way. Although we know our own lives aren't perfect, it's often tempting to portray them that way on social media. It's natural to want to present ourselves positively, and updating our own social media accounts can boost our self-esteem. However, occasionally discussing the less-than-perfect aspects of our lives can help others feel connected to us and give them the opportunity to support us. Honesty on social media may also help mitigate the negative consequences of social media use for others.

Occasional FOMO and social comparison may be inevitable consequences of using social media platforms, which offer us rich insight into what other people are doing at all times. However, when social media is used mindfully and in moderation, it may enhance our social lives and self-image more than it detracts from them.

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How Social Media affects Mental Health and Relationships | PsyberGuide

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If you were to open Instagram, Facebook, or your social media platform of choice right now, what would you see? Would you see meaningful updates from your close friends? Or a barrage of acquaintances going on exciting trips, accomplishing great things, and having fun? Most of the time, we see the latter.

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I used this as my final text to pull everything together. Finding out all the positives, I wanted to be able to see both sides so I researched the positives of social media. This was beneficial to getting an educated final decision on this back-and-forth topic of is social media is bad for you.

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Social media use can be harmful. The effects are troubling and well-documented, from tragic stories of adolescent life lost to academic research on the psychological harm such platforms can cause, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

Yet with 59% of the whole world using social media, for an average of two and a half hours per day, according to a 2022 Broadband search, it has also become inextricable from the daily lives and livelihoods of many. It is not sufficient to say social media is bad, don't use it. We need a more proactive approach. The question often missing from the discussion is: How can social media use be optimized to enhance our well-being and flourishing?

What is social media for?

To begin, let's clarify what social media is, and what it is not. In a 2010 paper, European researchers Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that . . . allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content," in virtual communities. Social media includes platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Pure messaging services such as WhatsApp do not meet these criteria and are not considered to be social media. It is this within-platform content-creation functionality that makes social media a unique, and still relatively novel, form of human interaction.

Social media platforms have been designed with profits in mind, rather than users' well-being. To optimize our use of social media, we need to understand the significant psychological and well-being factors at play online. Only then can we retain well-being and flourish, regardless of whether social media has been designed to prioritize it.

However, typical social media advice does not take a structured psychology-based approach to well-being. In the largest systematic review of positive social media usage outcomes to date, I trawled with colleagues through the research to see how social media use interacts with well-being. The upshot? It is possible to create a positive spiral in social media usage, where usage supports flourishing; but this requires intentionality and cannot be communicated in a few quick tips. This is because social media affects us all differently, depending on age, gender, personality, and many other factors.

I'd like to offer a roadmap for taking a proactive and tailored approach to social media engagement and well-being. We conducted our research across age brackets, countries, and other demographics, using a positive psychology lens. Whether you are an adult wishing to use social media as part of your career development, or an adolescent for whom social media is hard to opt out of, the aim of the recommendations below is to empower you in your social media use today, rather than wait for slow or uncertain policy change.

What does flourishing look like?

What does it look like to flourish online? Our research, drawing on established positive psychology flourishing frameworks, breaks it down into two broad domains.

Social capital and social support. Is social media helping to support you when you're stressed? Are you building reciprocal relationships with other individuals through your social networks, though both weak and strong ties? If you feel like the answers to those questions are yes, you're on the right track toward flourishing online. Studies have found that this is completely possible: For example, German Neubaum and his colleagues found in a 2014 paper that social media produces short-term positive emotions and offers social support through rapid emotional relief after crises. Two larger systematic reviews, one focused on breast cancer patients and another examining general social support, found that social media can indeed provide real comfort and friendship.

Identity. Identity is a broad concept encompassing multidimensional aspects that create one's sense of self. In a 2020 study, Rebecca Pera and her colleagues find the "digital self" to be an increasingly important component of subjective well-being. That's no surprise: The ability to generate multi-media content on social media, which Oxford University's Bernie Hogan conceptualizes as an online "exhibition," also opens up opportunities for self-presentation, self-expression, and identity development. When Judith Kasperiuniene and Vilma Zydziunaite systematically reviewed 17 studies of how professional identity is constructed through social media in a 2019 paper, they found a "spiral of transformation" as people proactively designed and shaped professional identities online-and then received feedback and support on these. This can enable career transition, carving our professional niches and relevant networks, and form a key part of our professional development.

Mastery. It's also worth mentioning the concept of "mastery," which is core to various well-being frameworks. Mastery can comprise various subdomains-skills acquisition, learning, accomplishment, self-efficacy, and self-worth. This can happen in university settings, where social media offers peer support groups and learning environments, and organizations, where it can promote knowledge exchange and well-being. In their systematic review of social media use in medical education, Christine Cheston and her colleagues found learner engagement and active learning to be important benefits from social media-enabled interaction and learner-generated content.

Five ways to get those outcomes

What conditions will increase the likelihood of social support, healthy identity formation, and mastery? The research shows that conditions and outcomes are inextricably linked: The flourishing outcomes influence these same conditions, creating potential for a positive spiral. Our research has identified five key conditions as pivotal for achieving the flourishing outcomes.

1. Manage social comparison. By far the biggest determinant of online well-being is the extent to which social comparison occurs for the individual.

Social comparison is the process of thinking about other people in relationship to the self. This is amplified on social media due to the rapid, constant provision of information about others. While, in general, the findings suggest that more social comparison is worse for well-being, we find, upon closer inspection, that it can be successfully managed.

For example, the research highlights that different types of social comparison produce different well-being effects. There is a distinction between comparing one's opinions against others (opinion-based comparison) versus comparing one's abilities. Opinion-based comparison via social media can, in fact, improve well-being and feelings of optimism and inspiration, as Sun Young Park and Young Min Baek found in a 2018 study. Therefore, rather than simply saying, social comparison is bad, don't compare, one might explore, and focus on, particular types of comparison.

Comparison can also be a positive stimulus: Some research suggests that the fear of missing out (FOMO) social comparison can actually encourage social connection. Likewise, benign envy-where the intention is not to damage the position of the superior other-can be a source of inspiration. Consequently, individuals might intentionally channel such comparison toward inspiring positive change.

Different people have different social comparison orientations-that is, they are prone to different amounts of comparison based on individual differences and circumstances. Being more intrinsically motivated, and clear on one's own goals, can help reduce the impact of social comparison. Better offline well-being also reduces comparison, as does reducing the time spent online.

Lastly, proactive management of social comparison might be as simple as choosing sites which are less conducive to social comparison, such as Twitter, and being mindful when using platforms worst for comparison (e.g., LinkedIn).

2. Understand how social media affects our fundamental psychological needs. Self-determination theory identifies three psychological needs underpinning human motivation:

Autonomy: a feeling of control with the absence of external pressures;

Relatedness: connectedness with others; and

Competence: the ability to act effectively and meaningfully.

Relatedness is generally positively associated with well-being from social media usage. Social media can also be used to compensate for low levels of relatedness or competence. For example, Facebook was found to support those who lacked the social skills required to develop social capital and confidence through conventional routes.

But while it might help us connect with others, social media simultaneously impinges our autonomy through its addictive design. This is highlighted by the mixed outcomes resulting from abstinence or reduction of social media consumption. There are diminishing returns from time spent on social media: In a 2019 study, Zahir Vally and Carline D'Souza find that full abstinence reduces well-being by severing social channels and increasing loneliness.

Meanwhile, Melissa G. Hunt and her colleagues, as well as Julia Brailovskaia and her colleagues, found that restricting social media usage improved future usage behaviors, improving autonomy and well-being significantly. Thus we recommend using social media intentionally for connection, but experimenting with levels of usage and periods of abstinence to regulate the tension between connection and autonomy.

In reality, limiting social media use can be hard! Mindfulness, that is, the self-regulation of attention on to the immediate experience, offers a key here. For those with greater levels of mindfulness, social media use can lower burnout at work and increase their sense of self-esteem and clarity about their identity. Over time, by building self-regulation and autonomy resources, we can get better at limiting our time online (and limit mindless scrolling), and therefore get the benefits of connection without the loss of personal autonomy.

3. Tailor social media approaches to individual differences, needs, and motivations. Individual differences are key in determining how individuals will be affected by social media.

Rather than binary outcomes suggesting social media is either good or bad for introverts or extraverts, findings are more nuanced, suggesting that social media can benefit both extraverts or introverts in different ways, and that personality impacts usage differentially.

For example, high-functioning introverts are better at being truly alone without resorting to social media, but at the same time, those with low social competence (or the socially anxious) might benefit from the connection opportunities afforded by social media. What does seem clear, though, is that people higher in neuroticism show more depressive symptoms online.

Other notable individual differences include age and gender. Older groups have a more intimate experience with social media and are less prone to negative comparison and anxiety. Males are found to experience greater well-being benefits from social media. Why? According to one study, women are more likely than men to link social comparison and body dissatisfaction. All this means that to be intentional online means taking individualized approaches based on demographics, traits, and preferences.

4. Acknowledge the influence of specific social media platforms and their characteristics. Social media platform design has created different environments, through what has been described as "choice architecture" designed to influence our behavior, as Amy Binns describes in a 2014 paper. Each platform has different features that are conducive to different levels of comparison and connection, while influencing user behavior, confidence, and experiences. As briefly touched upon above, LinkedIn was found to induce the most social comparison, and Twitter the least.

Different features produce different well-being effects. Research suggests loneliness decreases and happiness increases as a result of image-based social media use, whereas text-based Twitter is neutral. Other results suggest this is a result of the intimacy offered by image-based social media. Instagram's fairly recent option for users to hide their "like" counts from others is a positive and significant step toward reducing "likes-based" comparison. Overall, pay attention to how different social media platforms make you feel, with the awareness that these feelings are not your "fault," but rather a function of their design. Consider which features might contribute to this in your particular case, and adjust your usage accordingly.

5. Work on offline well-being to support positive outcomes. Much of the research highlights the bidirectional relationship between social media and well-being. That is, higher levels of general well-being translate to a better social media experience. This has the benefit of shifting the focus off social media, to key well-being dimensions, such as physical health and offline relationships. The more we can build our offline resources, including sense of identity, autonomy, and well-being, the less likely social media is to interfere with our well-being and the more chance we can benefit from its flourishing opportunities.

This article is not about whether social media is good or bad. Indeed, at any given point in time, we may "like" or dislike social media. Regardless of this preference or opinion, social media is increasingly embedded into the way business and social life operate today. Therefore if we are to use it, let's be aware of its unique features and how these interact with our own psychological needs, individual characteristics, and well-being.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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How Social Media Can Add to Your Well-Being (Not Detract From It)

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Instead of bemoaning the ills of social media, we can try to use it in ways that support our relationships, identity, and success in life.

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Thinking about my comparative analysis, what most of it will be about is how social media is addictive and creating many problems for our generation, then what solutions and ways we can still use social media but in a different way that is more beneficial than harmful. These sources will help me find every angle of social media and figure out how to make it become less addictive.