Happy Online and in Real Life too?

FAKULTÄT BZW. TITEL

Happy Online and in Real Life too?

Anne Suphan, Ph.D. Institute of Law and Social Science - Sociology -

How Social Media Interactions Affects Real Life Well-being of Students in U.S. and Germany

@Apostelschnecke #happyonoff

INTRODUCTION The effects of Social Media usage 1

INTRODUCTION ⎜ THEORY ⎜ DATA ⎜ RESULTS ⎜ DISCUSSION

social capital

social support

benefits for mental health

social inclusion

social isolation

negative well-being

positive

positive

positive

positive

negative

negative

positive negativeSOCIAL MEDIA

?

negativepositive REAL LIFE

onlin

eof

fline


(RQ1)

positive negativeSOCIAL MEDIA

?

negativepositive REAL LIFE

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eof

fline

culture of usage


(RQ2)

(RQ1)

THEORY Theoretical background & developed hypotheses2

involvement in social media

emotional outcome

Emotional outcome of most recent Facebook use*

negativepositive


joyful/ fun satisfied informed excited relaxed

bored angry

frustrated tired sad

lonely envious

H1

*Krasnova, H., Wenninger, H., Widjaja, T., & Buxmann, P. (2013). Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users’ Life Satisfaction?

general subjective well-being


H2

*Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), 1143–1168.

POSITIVEemotional outcomes of social media use

NEGATIVE

satisfaction joy fun

jealousy frustration sadness

SNS as part of every day life*

INCREASE DECREASE

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frequency of real life activities


H3

*DiMaggio, P., Hargittai, E., Neuman, W. R., & Robinson, J. P. (2001). Social Implications of the Internet. Annual Review of, 27, 307–336. **Burke, M., Marlow, C., & Lento, T. (2010). Social network activity and social well-being. In Proceedings of the 28th international conference on Human factors in computing systems -

CHI ’10 (pp. 1909–1912). New York, New York, USA: ACM Press*** Bude, H., & Lantermann, E.-D. (2006). Soziale Exklusion und Exklusionsempfinden. Kölner Zeitschrift Für Soziologie Und Sozialpsychologie, 58(2), 233–252.


perception of exclusion

cultivation of current relationships* H4 participation

in online groups**

H5social resources***

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frequency of real life activities


H6

*Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302. **McKenna, A. (2011). A Human Right to Participate in the Information Society. New York: Hampton Press.

** Bude, H., & Lantermann, E.-D. (2006). Soziale Exklusion und Exklusionsempfinden. Kölner Zeitschrift Für Soziologie Und Sozialpsychologie, 58(2), 233–252.

general subjective well-being


H8social ressources

(offline* & online**) as important components


H7position within

society*** as important component

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△ individualism*


H9

*Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Sage Publications , Thousand Oaks.**Krasnova, Hanna, and Natasha F. Veltri. "Behind the curtains of privacy calculus on social networking sites: the study of Germany and the USA." 10th International Conference on

Wirtschaftsinformatik. Zurich, Switzerland, 2011.

differences on self-disclosure (trust)

between U.S. and German

social media users**

social media usage△ uncertainty avoidance* on

line

DATA

Data collection & Data analysis3

Profile of respondents:

• 85% undergraduates, 64% 20-22 years

• 73% use the Internet for > 4 years

• 75% use the Internet on a daily base

• 94% have a social media account - mainly on Facebook

U.S. students (2013) Online survey n=490

German students (2014) Online Survey

n=168

Testing H1-H8: Structural Equation Modelling Testing H9: Multiple Group Analysis

digital natives


positive negative

Involvement in social media

Perception of exclusion

Involvement in real life activities

positive negative

Digital Life Real Life

emotional outcome

well-being in general


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RESULTS Estimated loadings & group differences4


positive (R2=0.524***)

negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)


negative (R2=0.294***)


emotional outcome


0.724*** 0.168*** -0.124**

0.206**

0.179***

-0.236***

-0.232**

0.375***

0.523***

-0.186*

0.189***



negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)




emotional outcome


0.724*** 0.168*** -0.124**

0.206**

0.179***

-0.236***

-0.232**

0.375***

0.523***

-0.186*

0.189***

***p<0.001 **p<0.01 *p<0.05 n.s. p>0.05

!Value (Chi-squared) 1325.984Degrees of Freedom (df)

542

P-Value 0.0000Chi-squared/ df 2.45RMSEA 0.050CFI 0.915TLI 0.906SRMR 0.066

Model fit



negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)



emotional outcome


0.724*** 0.168***

Negative emotional outcomes are less influenced by involvement in social media.

H1

✔




negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)



emotional outcome


0.189***

-0.124**

Positive emotional outcomes of social media use do not influence subjective well-being significantly.

H2

✔




negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)

Positive (R2=0.284***)

Negative (R2=0.294***)

emotional outcome


There is no estimated significant influence between involvement in social media an real social life activities.

H3✗




Negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)



emotional outcome


0.179***

Individuals’ perception of exclusion is positive enhanced by involvement in social media.

And it is reduced by real life activities.

H4

-0.232**

H5✔




negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)



emotional outcome


0.375***

Positive well-being status in real life is significantly affected by involvement in real life activities, but not the negative well-being.

H6✔




Negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)




emotional outcome


0.206**

-0.186*

Both, positive and negative well-being are influenced by involvement in social media.

H7

✔



negative (R2=n.s.)



(R2=0.940***)


(R2=n.s.)



emotional outcome


-0.236*** 0.523***


Individuals’ perception of exclusion reduces positive well-being and increases negative well-being.

H8✔

Intercept/ MeansGerman students

(compared to U.S. students)

Involvement in social media -1.181***Positive emotional outcome of social media involvement 0.346*

Negative emotional outcome of social media involvement n.s

Involvement in real life activities 1.048***Perception of exclusion -1.051***positive subjective well-being -1.046***negative subjective well-being n.s.

H9✔ Compared to U.S. students German students …

… are less involved in social media but more involved in real life activities. … feel less excluded. … have lower positive well-being status.

RelationshipU.S.

studentsGerman students

Sign. (z-value)

H1 Involvement in SM —>

Positive emotional outcome

0.735*** 0.674*** Δ sign. (z= -0.009)

Involvement in SM —>

Negative emotional outcome

n.s. 0.298** Δ sign.

H2 Positive emotional outcome —>

positive general well-being

0.158** n.s. Δ sign.

Negative emotional outcome —>


0.134* n.s. Δ sign.


negative general well-being

0.241*** n.s. Δ sign.



0.101* n.s. Δ sign.

H5 Involvement in real life activities —>


0.218** n.s. Δ sign.

RelationshipU.S.

studentsGerman students

Sign. (z-value)


Positive emotional outcome

0.735*** 0.674*** Δ sign. (z= -0.009)

Involvement in SM —>

Negative emotional outcome

n.s. 0.298** Δ sign.

H2 Positive emotional outcome —>


0.158** n.s. Δ sign.



0.134* n.s. Δ sign.


negative general well-being

0.241*** n.s. Δ sign.



0.101* n.s. Δ sign.

H5 Involvement in real life activities —>


0.218** n.s. Δ sign.

H9

✔The influence form involvement in social media on positive emotional outcome is stronger for U.S. students.

The influence from involvement in social media on negative emotional outcomes is only significant for German students.

In general, most relationships are only significant for U.S. students.

DISCUSSIONConclusion, limitations & future research5


… in a nutshell 1. Involvement in social media results more in positive emotional

outcomes than in negative ones. 2. There is no direct significant impact of social media

involvement on real life activities. 3. German students tend to separate between online and offline

sphere more strongly.

… could be better!? 1. Student sample as a representation of digital natives? 2. A third group for testing cultural differences would be useful. 3. Longitudinal research design is needed to test for directions of

hypotheses (casualty).

Thank you for your attention!Any questions?