Study suggests social media may shift achievement and conformity values
6 reported
A new research paper examines how social media might change people’s identities, focusing on the values of achievement and conformity. The authors, Ertugrul Uysal, Sascha Alavi, and Valéry Bezençon, conducted a difference-in-differences analysis comparing countries with higher social media adoption to culturally similar countries. They found that higher social media adoption was associated with an increase in achievement and conformity orientation. The researchers also manipulated social media use and established a causal link between social media use and the activation of these values in Facebook users. The findings were replicated with objective social media usage data, and the mechanism was explored: social media use increases achievement and conformity orientation through an increased need for approval, particularly for those who self-ruminate. The source article notes that the author of the summary would not trust the results of this or any paper on this topic very much, but considers it good to see inquiry along different dimensions.
What’s reported
The paper investigates how social media might change people’s identities, specifically achievement and conformity values.
A difference-in-differences analysis found that countries with higher social media adoption compared to culturally similar countries show an increase in achievement and conformity orientation.
Researchers manipulated social media use and established a causal link between social media use and the activation of achievement and conformity values in Facebook users.
The findings were replicated with objective social media usage data.
The mechanism involves social media use increasing achievement and conformity orientation through an increased need for approval, particularly for those who self-ruminate.
The source article states the author would not trust the results of this or any paper on this topic very much.
Key figures
Ertugrul Uysal (author of the paper)
Sascha Alavi (author of the paper)
Valéry Bezençon (author of the paper)
Kevin Lewis (credited as excellent source of the paper)
Sources: marginalrevolution.com
