Should You Do It for the Gram? A Review of the Psychological and Sociocultural Effects of Social Media

Abstract

Joseph Z Conger and Sangeeta Singg

Even though Social Media (SM) has penetrated the lives of roughly half the population of the world, connecting billions of people with friends and family, there are disadvantages that span the psychological and sociocultural dimensions of these users’ lives. At the present time, the disadvantages of SM outweigh the advantages. Many users have developed SM-based psychopathologies, such as addiction and depression, and SM is contributing to sociocultural crises, such as the fear of missing out (FOMO), self-objectification, and life dissatisfaction. This awareness has spawned a plethora of studies; researchers are uncovering new complexities about SM, and are expanding communal knowledge of factors that contribute to the psychological and sociocultural lives of SM users. Effects of SM are examined in this integrative review because they directly and indirectly influence the mental and physical health of SM users.

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