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Estimating the association between Facebook adoption and well-being in 72 countries
Matti Vuorre1,2, Andrew K Przybylski1
1Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3JS, UK.
Royal Society Open Science
|August 11, 2023
Summary
Global social media use, specifically Facebook adoption across 72 countries, showed no widespread psychological harm. While associations with well-being were small, Facebook use positively impacted life satisfaction and positive experiences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Digital Media Studies
Background:
- Previous research on social media and well-being often focused on the Global North.
- Self-reported social media engagement data can be inaccurate.
- A global perspective is needed to understand social media's impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Facebook adoption and individual well-being across 72 countries.
- To examine these associations over time (2008-2019).
- To address limitations of prior research by using objective data and a global scope.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Facebook adoption rates in 72 countries.
- Examination of well-being data from 946,798 individuals.
- Longitudinal analysis of associations between country-level and individual-level data.
Main Results:
- No evidence of widespread psychological harm linked to global social media penetration.
- Facebook adoption positively associated with life satisfaction and positive experiences.
- Facebook adoption negatively associated with negative experiences.
- Observed associations were small and did not consistently meet statistical thresholds.
- Effects were slightly more positive for younger individuals, with mixed country-specific results.
Conclusions:
- Global social media adoption does not appear to cause widespread psychological harm.
- The impact of social media on well-being is complex and requires nuanced understanding.
- Future research necessitates greater transparency and collaboration between scientists and the tech industry.
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