As a consumer behavior expert, I recently edited a book about how social media affects mental health.
I'm also an enormous fan of Taylor Swift.
As I listened to Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, I couldn't help but notice parallels to the research I've been doing for the past decade.
It may look like a far-fetched comparison. What could the best-selling album of 2024 need to do with exploring the dark side of social media?
But bear with me: Taylor Swift lives in the identical social media-saturated universe as the remaining of us. Perhaps that's why her album's melancholy themes resonate with so many individuals.
With young people out of faculty for the summer and spending their free time on social media, now’s the time to placed on some music and take into consideration mental health and so-called “consumer wellbeing” in the sector of transformative consumer research.
Here are three tailored insights that illuminate a number of the themes of my latest book: “The dark side of social media: consumer psychology and mental health.”
Lesson 1: Modern life through the lens of social media could be depressing
If you've been feeling unwell currently, you're not alone: Anxiety and depression could be made worse by excessive social media use, a study concludes. Chapter 1 Shows. And social media usage is increasing.
The average American teenager spends almost five hours a day scroll TikTok, Instagram and the like, surveys show, while adults watch greater than two hours each day on social media. This may very well be compulsive social media use or general overuse.
Digital life can simulate addiction and sometimes manifests itself as a pronounced form of tension called “disconnection anxiety,” researchers Line Lervik-Olsen, Bob Fennis and Tor Wallin Andreassen note in her book chapter on compulsive use of social media. This can result in depression – a mood this repeats itself throughout your entire “Department of Tormented Poets”.
Depression is commonly accompanied by feelings of loneliness. Social media has in some ways made people feel much more lonely – nearly 4 in 5 Americans say that Social media has exacerbated social divisionssays Pew Research. In our book chapter, my doctoral student Betül Dayan and I have a look at the Prevalence of loneliness within the digital world.
The pandemic has shown the world that social media relationships cannot replace physical company. Even celebrities with Hundreds of hundreds of thousands of followers just wants someone she could be with. In the song “The Prophecy,” Swift sings about loneliness and the need for somebody who simply enjoys her presence:
Don't want money/ Just someone who wants my company (“The Prophecy”)
Lesson 2: Comparisons make you sad
Social media is a breeding ground for comparisons. And because people are likely to portray idealized versions of themselves on social media – slightly than their authentic selves – these comparisons are sometimes false or distorted. Research has shown that folks are likely to make “upward comparisons” on social media, judging themselves compared to people they find inspiring. Social media can result in false comparisons because what someone is striving for is probably not authentic.
This can result in what researchers call “negative self-discrepancy” – a sense of disappointment over failure to satisfy a private ideal. As researchers Ashesh Mukherjee and Arani Roy in her book chapterSocial media makes people less satisfied with their very own sense of control, intelligence and power. This in turn can worsen stress and anxiety.
The theme of comparisons is expressed loud and clear within the song:The “Tortured Poets” section”, by which Swift chides a partner with literary ambitions – and herself for dating him. Swift stands out as the richest, most famous and successful pop star on the planet, but comparing herself to much more heroic figures is certain to make anyone feel worse:
Lesson 3: Bullying is just not a small problem
In today’s social media-focused world, bullying has shifted to online platforms. And platforms are arguably the breeding ground for bullying: individuals are more more likely to take part in cruel behavior online than nose to nose.
Politicians are increasingly recognizing bullying as a crucial political problem. In their book chapter, researchers write Madison Brown, Kate Pounders and Gary Wilcox have examined laws to combat bullying.
One of those efforts, Children's Online Safety Actwhich might require online platforms, amongst other things, Take motion against cyberbullyingwas recently passed by the US Senate.
Lawmakers aren't the one ones taking bullying seriously. In her latest album, Swift describes bullies in her own life as vipers who “bring dishonor to her good name” and utter insults that stay together with her for a very long time. Topics from Call and bullying run throughout Swift's work—hardly surprising for somebody who has led such a public life each online and offline.
It is just not known whether general social media use or excessive use alone causes a few of these consequences, but our research shows that in some ways there’s a darker side to social media with regards to consumer well-being – even celebrities. So if you happen to Eras tour in Europe this summerit is advisable to leave your phone on the hotel.
image credit : theconversation.com