Stage One FMB

MADELEINE WEATHERILL N0693830

STAGE ONE TO WHAT EXTENT IS SOCIAL MEDIA PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND SOCIALLY DAMAGING AND WHAT EFFECT DOES IT HAVE ON OUR BEHAVIOUR?

DECLARATION: I CONFIRM THAT THIS WORK HAS GAINED ETHICAL APPROVAL AND THAT I HAVE FAITHFULLY OBSERVED THE TERMS OF APPROVAL IN THE CONDUCT OF THIS PRODUCT. SIGNED: DATED: WORD COUNT: 7890

CONTENTS 02 03 04 06 11 23 34 35 37 42 47

RATIONALE INTRODUCTION AIMS AND OBJECTIVES METHODOLOGY THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK RESEARCH FINDINGS KEY INSIGHTS CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY REFERENCES APPENDIX

‘‘Social media is the greatest social experiment in the history of mankind.’’

(Patrick Mulford, Executive Creative Director for The Audience (Bendoni, 2018).

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RATIONALE W

With over four billion Internet users and three billion social media users (We Are Social, 2018), it is no surprise that the growth of the digital world has had an impact on everyday life, both to those that use it, and to those that do not.

Initially only accessed strictly through computers, the ability to connect and communicate to masses of people through a mobile device, permitted as a result from such technological advances, can become extremely addicting and can take its toll on different aspects of life. The fixation of the online world equates to procrastination from the real world, and in some cases this is detrimental to the ability to function properly as a person.

Society continues to become increasingly digital and interested in the social functions upon devices, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. We constantly rely on our devices and online platforms, and there are society-wide digital expectations that we cannot avoid. It is therefore unfair to expect people to abandon their digital lives when that same technology is so central to modern survival. This therefore poses the question of whether social media is beneficial to society or whether it is something to be feared.

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INTRODUCTION

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his report will explore and discuss the ways in which social media is both psychologically and socially damaging, and the effects that this consequentially has on Millennials and Generation Z’s behaviour. To achieve more accurate findings about how it affects consumers and why, the report will focus on consumers aged 20-24, a demographic that sits in-between 18-29 year olds, the ages of which are seen to be the most dominant users of social media (Tran, 2018).

The previous report, Future Thinking, gave an insight into how consumers are increasingly adopting, both consciously and self-consciously, healthier lifestyles following the macro trend of Health and Wellness, whereby it highlighted the ever-growing use of technology and how is it fast becoming intertwined into every second of the day. A by-product of such technology growth, specifically smartphones, is the

growth of social media. This facilitated the interest for how this worldwide interest in online platforms can consequently, actually affect consumer health and wellness despite demands for improved technology.

The report will utilise both primary and secondary research to fulfil the intention of answering the research question. The research will be inclusive of theoretical framework that highlights key theories behind certain behaviours discussed in the report. It will furthermore be conclusive of a literature review to provide broad research alongside further theories and evidence to support this, which will be followed by primary research, allowing further discussion and analytical debate. Hereinafter, the report will conclude all of the gathered research, identifying key insights and recommendations that will be considered for the following stage. 


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AIMS & OBJECTIVES AIMS

OBJECTIVES

he aim of the research undertaken for this report was to gain an understanding of the effects that social media has had on everyday lives, focusing on how it has specifically effected face to face interactions and behaviours. Additionally, the research will investigate the psychological effects that increased social media and phone usage has had on Millennials and Generation Z. Throughout undertaking the research, the saturation of information was considered, meaning that when the same results kept reappearing, it indicated when research peaked in a particular area, thus stopping unnecessary continued research.

Investigate how social media is distracting Millennials and Generation Z from real life interactions in the UK.

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To consider the psychological effect that prolonged social media usage has had on society.

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Explore how social media has effected consumer behaviours both on and away from the screen, and the knock on effect this has on peers.

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FIGURE 1

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METHODOLOGY SECONDARY RESEARCH

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE

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o formulate a rounded collection of secondary research for the theoretical framework that would help achieve a compelling insight into the research question, a range of appropriate academic sources were utilised. The use of books, videos, journals, articles and reports as well as other online data helped achieve a deeper understanding of the topic area, and provided a more in depth and professional insight that could not be achieved from primary research alone. Many different types of secondary sources were used to achieve a balanced and therefore unbiased research approach. The secondary research gathered was paramount in order to pick out key themes, and from this, to devise the primary research to be undertaken.

Although secondary research is ‘likely to be higher-quality data than could be obtained by collecting your own’ (Stewart and Karmins, 1993), and enables a means of being able to ‘place your own findings within a more general context or, alternatively, triangulate your findings’ (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009), it also has its limitations. The permanence of data found online is available in a form that therefore makes it vulnerable and relatively easily open to the scrutiny of the public (Denscombe, 2007), so it must be understood that information should not always be taken at face value, and must be carefully considered before using it. Using someone else’s research in your own also provides you with the disadvantage of the fact that their research was undertaken with a different motive which may differ to your own research question (Denscombe, 2007). Therefore, ‘the data you are considering may be inappropriate for your research question’ (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009).

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SAMPLE

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ith the number of social media users worldwide in 2018 being estimated at about 3.196 billion (Chaffey, D. 2018), it is no surprise that online networking platforms therefore stem to many different demographic groups.

At the beginning of undertaking research, common demographic names kept reappearing Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z). These groups fall between the ages of people in their late 30’s and children as young as 3. It became apparent that at present, these groups are the most active users of social media, as well as the most reliant on it, which therefore formulated the sample concept of which to base continued research upon.

This was then narrowed down further, to consumers between the ages of 20 and 24, an age range considered to be some of the most common users of social media, which are still part of the demographic groups Gen Z or Millennials. It was imperative to narrow the otherwise broad age range, to achieve and gain more accurate findings for my research, which would be beneficial for Stage 2.

PRIMARY RESEARCH STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE Aim: To gain an in depth

insight into people’s understanding of social media and both its negative and positive implications, on both themselves and how it will impact the future.

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ne to one structured interviews were conducted to facilitate the need for in depth and honest responses, whereby what was said could not have been achieved by undertaking any other method. The use of this method furthermore helps to ‘gather valid and reliable data’ (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009).

The interviews involved 16 participants over all, made up of 10 females and 6 males. This amount of participants allowed for vast amounts of opinions to be received and therefore differing opinions and perspectives to add depth to the research. The interviews were conducted off the back of an Instagram poll, following the question ‘Have you ever considered, or have given yourself a digital detox?’ for those that answered ‘yes’ it was then prompted for them to message the researcher.

Devising the interviews over Instagram allowed for a relaxed environment, whereby respondents would be more likely to share their raw and honest opinion.

The structured design of questions enabled an easy way to compare results, and helped to receive only qualitative answers, which in turn made interesting insights for 07

understand how social media affects respondents’ day to day lives, which was imperative to fulfil the aim of the interviews. It’s important to note that no probing questions were asked, so to gain a true reflection of how the respondent feels.

Due to a structured interview design, this therefore did not allow for a regular flowing conversation, which may have disabled deeper discussions down different avenues, thus perhaps missing more interesting insights.

However, the questions asked prompted a detailed response and no other information was necessary for the purpose of the interviews.

INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS QUALITATIVE Aim: To gain a professional perspective on the psychological impacts of social media both for themselves and their consumers.

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nfluencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic engaged people who pay close attention to their views.’ (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2017).

email in a structured manner, in order to gain a unique perspective of social media in the sense that it came from someone who works within the industry. An email was the best way to communicate, and to reach out to influencers, due to the formality, appropriation and speed of how information can be communicated. Devising interviews with an influencer allowed for in depth and personal opinions which was imperative to gain a rounded wealth of research from different aspects.

A limitation of conducting interviews with an influencer over email is that their response will not be as raw and as honest as if it were face-to-face, but also because social media is their job, so therefore they would need to be careful about what they verbalise to some extent.

Another limitation of reaching out to influencers to help with research is that due to their higher follower account and influx of messages from this, it means that researchers are less likely to get a response, therefore the reasoning behind only one respondent involved compared to other methods.

An interview was conducted with 1 social media influencer over

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FOCUS GROUP QUALITATIVE

Aim: To understand attitudes towards technology in relation to how it effects lifestyle and face to face interactions.

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ne focus group was conducted with 5 participants ranging from the ages of 20 to 24. This method of research is extremely useful in the sense that it encompasses the need for interactive discussion, as words can be interpreted in different ways, and therefore it may provoke opposing opinions, making for interesting research.

A limitation of using focus groups is that opinions may be swayed during discussions and respondents may not have a chance to speak or get their opinions voiced as ‘outspoken individuals can “hijack” and dominate a discussion’ (Savithiri and Leung, 2009).

QUESTIONNAIRE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE

Aim: To gain a general insight into whether social media affects face to face interactions and if it has impacted on their mental health.

which was then shared upon social media in order to reach sufficient respondents. The questionnaire received 88 responses in total, with 59 females and 29 males. The questionnaire was a useful method in which to identify which gender and which age social media has had the most effect on, and whether their time spent online coincided with how they felt about themselves both physically and mentally. As the respondents were all required to respond to the same set of questions, it therefore enabled an easy and efficient way to evaluate the findings (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009), producing an interesting set of primary data.

As the questionnaire was conducted online, it therefore limited the respondents to how they were able to answer, for example on some questions, specific answers had to be chosen from a selection of others. This may have hindered the quality and reliability of the data, although all types of answers were considered. Furthermore, due to the questionnaire being shared openly, it therefore allowed for an uncontrolled response rate in terms of age and gender, resulting in unbalanced findings. This could have potentially hindered the primary findings; however, it was considered when analysing the research.

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n online questionnaire, comprehensive of both qualitative and quantitative data, was conducted using Google Forms, 09

INSTAGRAM POLL QUANTITATIVE

Aim: To gain quick and honest insights into people’s feelings towards social media and their own experiences.

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poll was conducted over the researchers own Instagram account, gaining quantitate research as it was created using a yes/no response system. The poll received 222 responses from both males and females, however, ensuring that the poll received a balanced response rate from both genders was uncontrollable. Using this type of research method allowed for a quick and efficient way to collect data that could be easily interpreted as the poll is designed to give an automated percentage rate. Furthermore, creating a poll actually on social media itself was beneficial to the research because it specifically targeted those who actively use social media, as well as the respondents being reflective of the sample specifically targeted.

Despite being useful, the poll may be problematic in its validity.

Scrolling through social media tends to be an activity of which is approached in a ‘chilled’ manner and something that is perhaps looked at whilst multitasking, so the responses may as a result, not be completely accurate. However, the poll was either a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ response, which is very simplistic.

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK T

his section will look into some of the broad topics in which social media affects consumer mind-sets, connectedness and behaviour through selective secondary research, whilst also conversing different theories and studies to support the findings.

To start, theories and scientific evidence will be discussed which will explain the basis of why social media is so consumed in the first place. The overhead trends discovered through secondary research surrounding social media use will then be discussed, whilst being split into different sub headings in order to assess each topic thoroughly. Over all, this section will help to form the methodology for the primary findings by assessing where the gaps are in this research or areas that can be discussed further.

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DOPAMINE IN DRIVING ADDICTION

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iscovered in the 1950’s

by Arvid Carlsson, dopamine is a chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, which helps to regulate attention, learning, movement and emotional responses. As well as to see rewards, this chemical allows people to take action to move towards them as well.

Where dopamine ‘contributes to feelings of pleasures and satisfaction as part of the reward system however, the neurotransmitter also plays a part in addiction’ (Psychology today, n.d.).

This understanding of dopamine in regards to contributing feelings of pleasure and satisfaction can have its adverse effects, where it can be argued that this is used against humans in order to peruse and make profitable businesses due to the potential for it to form addictive habits.

New York Times columnist David Brooks (Parkin, 2018) supports this, where he explained that tech companies understand what causes dopamine surges in the brain, and they therefore lace their products with ‘hijacking techniques’ that lure us in and create ‘compulsion loops’. This addiction to technology is then further fuelled by social media platforms who also use the same techniques. Two of the arguably biggest addictive techniques used within social media will be now be discussed.

ENDLESS SCROLLING The implementation of endless scrolling on social media allows users to continually swipe down through the content on that platform without even having to click on anything, feeding their dopamine reward loop, in the hope that it will at some point make them feel satisfied. The search for feeling satisfied from constantly exposing yourself to more and more content however, is never really met. The dopamine system is ‘especially sensitive to cues that a reward is coming, resulting only in ‘anticipatory rewards’, therefore ‘it’s not actually the reward itself that keeps the dopamine loop (in this case, continual scrolling) going; it’s the anticipation of the reward’ (Weinschenk, 2018).

BEING ‘LIKED’ In the age of this always on consumer, the online world therefore provides a format of where people can seek and receive ‘approval’ from peers, therefore forming the concept of being able to be ‘liked’ online. ’Likes’ can ultimately be seen as an indicator of social standing and can make people feel better about themselves the more that they receive, the unpredictability of which makes the feature addictive (Yates, 2017).

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1.0 THE ‘LOOK AT ME’ CULTURE

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he ‘Look at Me’ culture has been embraced by todays digitally connected society, and continues to be a fast growing movement. The meteoric rise of social media has ‘allowed consumers to create environments that feature moment-to-moment feeds and expansive sharing with online communities.’ This section will look into how today’s consumers constantly feel the need to position their ‘personal brand’ in a favourable light to maintain what is considered a good or idealistic online presence (Bendoni, 2017).

1.1 SOCIAL BEHAVIOURS The popularity of digital platforms has caused pressures for people to uphold their online identity, where ‘even the youngest social media users feel the pressure to upload content in order to receive acceptance from their fellow community members’ (Bendoni, 2017). Supporting this, it is stated that Gen Z ‘search for acceptance and popularity through online recognition’ and Millennials ‘base their decisions through social confirmation where the number of likes, shares or mentions confirms authentic and adoptable movement’ (Bendoni, 2017). This way of thinking is supported by the theory of reasoned action (Terry, Gallois and McCamish, 1993), where the intention to perform a certain behaviour (in this case, posting online to receive likes for

example) comes as a result of the belief that it will lead to a specific outcome (more friends, more attention etc.).

The obsession over how many friends and likes one has causes concerns that ‘digital media is creating a dysfunctional society’ where social network sites ‘seem to have become the index of progress and the collapse of social connectedness’ (Chambers, 2013). It can also be seen that ‘people develop post-posting depression when they post content and do not immediately receive ‘’likes’’’ (Bendoni, 2018).

An extended problem with this is that therefore on social media consumers are becoming a ‘product’, where they are simply ‘letting others attribute value’ them (TEDx Talks, 2017). This reality is arguably ‘changing our sense of identity’, where we are tying up our self-worth of what others think about us and then we’re quantifying it for everyone to see’ (TEDx Talks, 2017).

Although ‘cultivating a visual lifestyle is top of their (Gen Z and Millennials) mind and they are consumed with building their personal brand’ (WGSN, 2018), the strive to be socially acceptable online has caused unofficial competition between peers where people are now wanting to be distinguishable from others, and so are embracing their individuality, consequently having a knock on effect to businesses. Consumers, especially Gen Z now ‘sway towards brands that celebrate self-expression and empowerment. They don’t want brands that cater to everyone, 13

they want brands that cater to the individual’ (WGSN, 2018).

“It’s really hard to not be sucked into the bubble of caring about how many likes you get or how many people are following you.”

Megan, Long Island, New York (WGSN, 2018).

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1.2 THE DIGITAL SELF VS THE OFFLINE SELF Renowned humanistic psychologist Carl Rodgers states that ‘personalities are composed of one’s ‘ ‘real self’ ’ and ‘ ‘ideal self’ ’(Journalpsyche. org, n.d.), and so therefore the ‘virtual world gives brands and consumers the ability to predetermine the ‘ ‘self’ that they want represented throughout the social media space’ (Bendoni, 2017). The ability of being able to share and edit any part of your life online therefore begins to blur the lines between what is actually real and what isn’t.

Despite the way in which ‘sites are designed to display realworld identities’ and the fact that ‘site tools encourage us to communicate features of our offline selves’ (Chambers, 2013), it has resulted in consumers relying on networking sites as a ‘fundamental resource for managing identify, lifestyle and social relations’ (Livingstone, 2008), whereby they ‘carefully select favourable information for display’ (Chambers, 2013) which equates to social pressures, for example, ones’ appearance. Supporting this, Goffman (1959) states that when we meet someone away from other known connections, we find that the claims they made are often exaggerated, thus showing that it is relatively easy to create a differing life online to your life offline. Goffman’s theory of the presentation of the self in everyday life furthermore supports the concept that there is

a difference between the online self and the offline self, as he suggests that individuals offer their performance and put on a show for the benefit of other people.

It is not all bad, however. Where ‘a degree of mental stress is associated with keeping up life online’ (The Privacy Guru, 2014), it can also be argued that ‘every single one of us has a tendency to exaggerate’, and that ‘it’s more about ‘enhancing’ what you already have rather than ‘faking’ or ‘outright lying’ ’(Yasa, 2015). Adding to this, ‘the ability to hide behind the medium of social media has the power to boost user’s confidence’ where ‘introverts now tend to share their opinions openly and on online platforms, empowering users to speak their minds’.

Although this can be beneficial for some, the anonymity of the Internet therefore alleviates ‘new forms of aggression’ (Domínguez-Hernández, Bonell and Martínez-González, 2018) meaning that unacceptable actions and behaviours offline can be approached with a level of acceptance due to its online setting (Bendoni, 2017). An example of this can be found in recent events, where London Mayor Sadiq Khan has received racial abuse online, of which he has demanded social media firms to take action to tackle such hate speech (Snead, 2018).

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FIGURE 4

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2.0 IS SHARING REALLY CARING?

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n evident theme that has constantly reappeared throughout the secondary research is the idea around how social media popularity causes many of its consumers to often overshare about their personal lives. Ahmad (2018) explains that with algorithms playing an ever-growing role in how content is circulated, leading to engagement and interaction becoming increasingly important, it therefore leads to more engagement and then that content to be seen as ‘more relevant’ and ‘valuable’. This ultimately links back to the escalating fascination of sharing infinite details online.

2.1 RELATIONSHIPS One consequence of such sharing can have a negative effect upon different relationships.

Despite online media platforms arguably ‘becoming an increasingly important feature in the experience of generations’ (Bolin, 2017), the selection of media in which to share personal insights can also be perceived as a moral act to be judged (Chambers, 2013). As Caroline Haythornthwaite (2005) states, ‘most present day relationships are characterised by ‘media multiplexity’ in the sense that they are conducted through more than one medium’, where arguably it can ‘be highly efficient at facilitating closer and more intimate communication’ (Chambers, D., 2013). This

however can lead to occasional exposure to information that is not wanted to be seen, by an ex-partner for example, and can be ‘especially intrusive and distressing’ (Gershon, 2010).

Furthermore, accessibility of one’s social media posts on a platform can also be hazardous, whereby it can be potentially dangerous for their professional reputation (Heeren, 2017).

2.2 - COMPARING LIVES The social comparison theory (Psychology Today, n.d.) suggests that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. The hard working nature of late Gen Z consumers and early Millennials means that they are adopting very much self-made personalities, therefore looking to project their own personal brands into the social sphere (WGSN, 2018).

This, alongside increasing fascinations with the digital world, has led these consumers to tap into the world whereby social media status can create a steady income. An issue therefore arises whereby masses of filtered, curated and polished feeds consequently allows for both followers and friends of such accounts to believe that this ‘highlight reel’ (TEDx Talks, 2017) is a true reflection of their life (WGSN, 2018), resulting in comparisons to their own lives, linking back to the social comparison theory.

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“I’m embarrassed to say it, but there’s a specific niche of Instagram It Girls that I envy. I find myself trying to emulate their posts on a regular basis. I can never get it quite right, though.

I’m just too human, lol.”

Tess, 20, Detroit, Michigan (WGSN, 2018).

Continual reminders of what your life ‘should be like’ or exposure to items that you don’t have ‘can impact mental well-being, making one feel inferior and inadequate’ (Papadopoulos, 2017). The core social motive and desire of belonging due to a comparison in your life to others sees people having mental issues such as eating disorders, self-harming behaviours, stress and depression (BoB, 2018).

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2.3 LOCATION SHARING Along with the advancement of digital platforms that enable the variation of ways in which to share imagery and written content, this has furthermore allowed for the sharing of geographical locations to evolve too. Research finds that we not only love to talk about ourselves, but sharing where we are travelling to or the places we are dining at makes us feel more ‘cool’ or like we appear more intelligent and interesting. Sharing in this way is often undertaken with the intention of shaping an impression from peers, improving a person’s social image and therefore their social currency (Sutradhar, 2017).

‘Social currency is concerned with the benefits available from positive cooperation between groups and communities. It is underlined with the belief that value can be derived from social participation.’ (HRZone, n.d.)

Geolocation tags online can allow for anyone (who can gain access to your social media posts) to be able to find you in person (Equifax.co.uk, n.d.), or even for strangers to be able to track patterns of your whereabouts.

Snapchat’s recent update in 2017 saw an introduction of the ‘Snapchat Map’, however it raised concerns among some parents for precisely the issues mentioned above, where they said that it was too easy for Snapchat users to add random people as friends, which could potentially let predators track their location (Chen, 2017).

Despite how location sharing can be used positively, for example for safety purposes where parents can check on the whereabouts of their children, or how it can be used to make meeting in unfamiliar places easy just from one touch, arguably making it a powerful and efficient communication tool (Chen, 2017), it can also be extremely dangerous. Regardless of how specific a person is with the location they have tagged, the ease of location sharing on social media lets people become extremely vulnerable.

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3.0 SOCIALISING WITH OTHERS

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t can be seen that social networking sites have changed the landscape of friendship.

This section will explore the ways in which people ‘engage with social media to build, maintain and exhibit personal networks’, and contrastingly, how it can affect offline relationships, despite constituting ‘a now well-established mode of communication’ (Chambers, 2013).

3.1 THE OFFLINE SELF It can be argued that heavy users of social media are actually more isolated than non-users, or perhaps occasional users.

Chambers (2013) explains that although research in this field is embryonic, it does still become apparent that social media is often being drawn on to sustain personal relationships, and so this tendency equates to a rise in weak ties or acquaintances offline.

Furthermore, although social media can actually aid the growth or birth of new friendships, the addiction to be present and socialise online can hinder the ability to communicate in faceto-face interactions with people that they actually associate themselves with, as well as the quality of conversations in person. As smartphones allow for a simpler and more efficient way of talking, it has subjectively caused people to ‘become more

antisocial’ (Rampages.us, 2015).

Studies have shown people have less interest in interacting with others, resulting in only 7% of communication being verbal (Tardanico, 2012).

3.2 ANYONE, ANYWHERE Consumers can experience a number of benefits from social media ‘including greater connectedness with others via the ease with which they may identify and/or interact with others’ (Barry et al, 2017), and furthermore the variety of platforms thus allows for multiple ways to communicate, facilitating a ‘thoroughly converged media experience’. It is furthermore stated that this multimedia allows ‘relationships to be handled by creating an ideal distance in order to develop a ‘pure relationship’ ’ (Chambers, 2013).

It can be added that the media multiplexity theory suggests that the more platforms you use to communicate in addition to seeing each other in person, the stronger the relationship (The Atlantic, 2017).

It’s also notable that such investments to a selection of social media also offer differing social and emotional outcomes, for example in developing countries such as India or in the African nations, significant investments were made in Internet and mobile phone infrastructures as a ‘fundamental dimension of economic development’ (Castells et al. 2006).

Whilst social media can arguably be of good use to maintain and 20

strengthen personal friendships and other relationships, it is also beneficial to wider communities; ‘with so much of the global community constantly connected to social media, delivering news alerts on social media channels reaches more people faster’. It is further explained that ‘news outlets can share breaking stories, alerts and other important bits of news instantly with their followers.

When more people are aware of a situation, those working to secure locations and ensure the safety of the general public can perform their job duties more efficiently. (Agrawal, 2016). It is important to note however, that the need to feel connected to others through online platforms has thus created a heightened dependency and therefore an arguably false sense of connection.

CONCLUSION OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

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he theoretical framework has shown that there is extensive resources, theories and studies which help to understand the research question: ‘To what extent is social media psychologically and socially damaging, and what effect does this have on our behaviour?’.

The findings from this section broadly and strongly suggest that social media can be beneficial, for example how it permits connections, a sense of safety and a way in which to express personalities. However, the theoretical framework also shows how social media is hindering both the way we think and the way that we are able to socialise in a vast variety of ways and that despite this, addictions to this form of media are not lessened.

The primary findings section will look to fill the gap in knowledge, investigating in depth the reasons why this is the case, expanding on topics already covered to gain specific and personal insights, and whether people have tried to get away from social media.

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FIGURE 6

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RESEARCH FINDINGS T

1.0 THE CORRELATION BETWEEN EMOTION AND USAGE

his section will allow further discussion and analytical debate, where research uncovered in the theoretical framework will be further justified and explored in terms on how social media is psychologically and socially damaging, but also introducing new findings.

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here younger internet users are spending more time on social apps (Kats, 2018), to begin with, it was therefore important to understand how Millennials and Generation Z actually felt about social media, as it would then be insightful to look into the deeper reasons as to why they felt this way and furthermore, if it correlated with their daily usage.

The questionnaire found that the amount of time respondents said they spent on their phone per day strongly correlated with the amount of time spent on social media, whereby the majority of respondents disclosed that at least half of this time spent on their devices, if not more, was spent on the online world. Despite this high usage of social media, with some participants saying that they spent 6-8 hours on it a day, it was found that emotionally, consumers are not really excited by it (see Appendix). Following the question ‘How does social media generally make you feel?’, 53% of respondents chose the response ‘Meh’, a commonly used term that suggests one is unbothered.

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It was then prompted for respondents to give a reason as to why they felt this way, which gained responses such as ‘‘I have nothing better to do’’, ‘‘it has both its pros and cons’’ and ‘‘it’s just there’’.

This data further supports the concept of addictive behaviours associated with social media, otherwise referred to as ‘compulsion loops’ as a result of increased dopamine, mentioned in the theoretical framework, as although thorough use of social media evidently does not improve a person’s quality of life or mood, Millennials and Gen Z are still attached to visiting the platforms day in and day out because of the addictive behaviours it permits.

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2.0 THE PRESSURES FROM EXPOSURE TO OTHERS ONLINE

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his section of the research findings will look at how exposure to other people online has been found to draw different pressures.

2.1 COMPARING ATTRACTIVENESS A prevalent theme throughout the primary research was the way in which social media negatively affects the way consumers feel aesthetically. Where social media has the ability to showcase vast amounts of imagery, for example on Instagram, it can consequently make consumers feel negative over the way that they look, where studies have shown that there actually is an ‘indication of a general connection between adolescent social media use and negative indicators of health’ (Barry et al., 2017) The social media influencer that was interviewed said that ‘‘social media platforms are filled with photos of people with unrealistic body expectations depicting these unrealistic “perfect” lives’’, further saying that ‘‘so when you are faced with this everyday it makes you feel like that is normal’’, showing that even though it may be someone’s job to post images on social media, there is no escaping the sense of feeling inadequate. This can further be supported by a respondent from the questionnaire stating that ‘‘social media has made me lose self-confidence’’.

It is therefore evident that seeing these supposedly ‘perfect lives’ on Instagram and other platforms have, in a way, contributed to a distorted reality for Millennials and Gen Z, whereby it has been found that ‘Instagram is the most detrimental social networking app for young people’s health’ according to a report by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK (Fox, 2017).

The impression that platforms give off, in the sense that it showcases only peoples ‘best bits’, or in other words, their ‘highlight reel’ as mentioned in the theoretical framework section ‘Is Sharing Really Caring?’, was found to further imprint on the people that do not have social media too.

This can be seen where one of the participants from the focus group said that she doesn’t use Instagram because she just knows that it will make her mental health ‘‘really bad’’ as she’s ‘‘already very insecure’’. She further points out that if she ‘‘were to see attractive people all the time and people living their best life, it would just get me down’’.

It has therefore conclusively become apparent that social media has become an environment in which consumers actively compare themselves, despite how much of a social status one may hold. The pressure to look a certain way has consequently become corruptive to the wellbeing of Millennials and Gen Z’s in some cases, and affects behaviours offline such as trying to emulate someone else’s content, which can further be supported by Huang (2010) 25

whereby ‘more frequent use of the Internet has been associated with negative psychological well-being.’ However, it has been found that despite the masses of negative implications that visual platforms can permit, it rarely tempts or causes consumers to ditch their social platforms.

‘‘It’s so sad to see the expectation some people hold themselves up to.’’

- Influencer

‘’I catch myself trying to take pictures a certain way or to look a certain way’’ - Interviewee 6

‘’It can cloud your vision on what you think your life should be like by comparing it to what seems to be the perfect life of another person you may not even know.’’

- Questionnaire respondent

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2.2 SOCIAL MEDIA OR SOCIAL STATUS? Linking back to the social currency theory mentioned in the theoretical framework section of ‘Is Sharing Really Caring?’, a pressure that has formed due to exposure of such ‘perfect lives’, mentioned in section 1.1, is the need to feel like they have to compete against peers.

The Instagram poll found that a staggering 78% of respondents have compared themselves to people online before, with a further 42% saying that they felt more confident or more liked based on the amount of likes they received on a single post.

Although it can be argued that for Millennials, an online presence showcasing their personality can heavily impact on their future success and opportunities (Allen, 2018), making the concept of ‘competing’ online seem more reasoned, the reality of feeling the need to compete with people that either you know, or even don’t know, is actually beginning to make some consumers want to take a break or ‘opt out’ from social media, and the concept of a digital detox has arisen.

Supportively, Interviewee 11 considered a digital detox because of all the ‘‘competing that occurs on social media e.g. through likes on Instagram’’, as well as Interviewee 12, who said that she ‘‘was becoming obsessed with looking at certain fashion accounts’’ which led her to think that she needed to ‘‘step up’’ her style.

2.3 DIGITAL DETOX Where consumers of social media have come under the pressure of feeling the need to compete online or the pressure to uphold their own identity to remain important, as referred to in section 1.1 of the Theoretical Framework, it has thus led many consumers to behave mindfully in seeking a ‘digital detox’. The term digital detox refers to ‘a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, and is regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.’ (Forbes.com, 2017).

When questioned via the Instagram poll ‘Have you ever considered, or have given yourself a digital detox?’, 50% of respondents said ‘Yes’, which was insightful as according to the questionnaire, holistically 60% of respondents said that most of the time spent on their phone is spent on social media, therefore showing that Millennials and Gen Z are willing to give up, or at least consider, for some time, a large part of their life online in order to focus on themselves.

It shows that although strongly consumed by online platforms, these generations do not believe it to be the ‘be all, end all’, as similarly shown in the Focus Group, where no participants associated social media or any form of life online with what they considered to be a good quality of life.

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Upon seeking out those who have considered a digital detox, the general consensus around why they never went through with it was because of how they thought it would affect them socially.

‘‘It’s really refreshing and it’s nice to almost ‘recharge’. ’’

‘’I know I’d feel like I’d be missing out on so much’’

‘’I felt a lot more productive and didn’t feel I was missing out at all.’’

- Interviewee 2

- Interviewee 11

‘’I always feel I need my phone for things like work and uni.’’

- Interviewee 13 The opinions above fundamentally show the power in which social media has over the choice of our own actions. As social media is so widely used, for example for means of communication, almost acting as an extended part of someone’s identity, it consequently makes it difficult for people to remove themselves from it. This complements the point made in the Rationale whereby it is therefore unfair to expect people to abandon their digital lives when that same technology is so central to modern survival.

Contrastingly however, the primary research found that those that had undergone a digital detox proclaimed positive comments after a few days of being without the online platforms, despite some saying they had a compulsion to either pick their phone up or redownload the apps.

- Interviewee 6

This therefore demonstrates that consumers do have the capability and the mind-set to get out of the social media loop, but it just takes something to be problematic for them to make the move to remove themselves from the online world in the first place.

The primary research surrounding those that have taken time off of social media, has shown that it can be personally very beneficial, and essentially worth the much feared ‘missing out’ as it allows consumers to focus on real life and ‘connect more with those around you’ (Osterberg, 2015). However, the addiction to social media has been found to, in a sense, lay a foundation, wherein it leads people to make a return, causing them to feel exactly the same way that they did before (Interviewee 9), such as feeling unproductive and inadequate, and therefore back at square one. It can therefore be suggested that the concept of coming away from social media is more than just a quick fix and actually requires a lot of effort in order to refrain Millennials or Gen Z from returning.

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3.0 SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

T

his part of the research findings will look in depth at how social media is affecting social interactions and how exposure to seeing people socialising can make people feel.

3.1 FOMO VS JOMO The ‘Fear of Missing Out’, otherwise known by the acronym FOMO, is ‘an anxiety or apprehension around the idea that others might be experiencing something that you're not. It's the fear that your experiences aren't good enough when compared to those of others (HuffPost Australia, 2016). Although FOMO is a feeling which can be felt exclusive of social media, it is however heightened due to the explosion of these online platforms where it ‘allows the ability to see what peers are doing’ (Hobson, 2018) at any given time. This fear of missing out again relates back to the previously mentioned ‘highlight reel’ where seeing peoples ‘best bits’ not only make people feel inferior, but it can make people feel emotions in the way that they wish they were present in that moment too. FOMO can also be felt as a product of the addictive nature of social media, mentioned in the theoretical framework, where the stimulation of dopamine makes people addicted to the knowing, instant gratification and likes, and so ‘we keep going back for more

for fear that we will miss out on something’ (Fuller, 2018).

The concept of FOMO became a pattern in the primary research. (see Appendix for pie chart) Where, the interviews on one side specifically targeted people who only considered to undergo a digital detox, it was found that some of the reasons for not committing were from fear that they would miss out on things.

Following the question ‘What made you not go through with deleting the social media?’, Interviewee 11 said that it was because she knew like she’d feel like she’d ‘‘be missing out on so much’’, further saying that she wouldn’t know what her friends were doing. The same can be said for Interviewee 14, who said that he would be ‘‘missing out on plans’’. This shows how dependable consumers are on social media not only as a source of communication, but as a way in which to entertain themselves and to essentially keep up to stay in the loop.

Contrastingly however, the other set of questions for the interviews specifically targeted people who did give themselves a break off of social media. Following some questions around how the Interviewees felt upon deleting their socials, it was found that to their surprise, some felt considerably better.

Interviewee 2 said that he felt ‘‘a lot better’’ in himself, further saying that ‘‘I didn’t feel the urge or need to go and be nosey. I felt more awake and switched on.’’ Similar can further be said 29

by Interviewee 4, ‘‘I mean there were still times when I had the fear of missing out or I wanted to post something, but I started to care less about that and it didn’t bother me anymore.’’ Adding to this, Participant 4 from the focus group vocalised that ‘‘it was actually kind of nice to not have it (social media)’’ following breaking her phone whilst abroad.

It is therefore evident that social media can act as a difficult barrier for Millennials and Gen Z, in the event of seeking more productive lifestyles, whereby they want to ‘‘appreciate the world’’ (Interviewee 11) and live a stress free life (Participant 5 from Focus Group). Shown through the one to one interviews, the concept of spending time off your phone can be daunting, however it can be extremely beneficial in order to connect back with the offline world, where some say they ‘‘feel more in touch with my own reality’’ (Interviewee 8). This section therefore shows that the concept of ‘FOMO’ can actually turn into ‘JOMO’ - the Joy Of Missing Out. FIGURE 8 30

3.2 A BOUNDARY FOR FACE TO FACE INTERACTIONS The primary research conducted furthermore found that most often, the addictive behaviours that Millennials and Gen Z have with social media consequentially resulted in a lowered quality of face to face interactions with peers. Where the variety of social platforms allow for multiple ways to communicate, facilitating a ‘thoroughly converged media experience’ (Chambers, 2013) as well as providing a medium for ‘‘interaction and communication with friends and family’’ (Questionnaire respondent), consumers are realising that it interferes with life offline, and it bothers them.

When the participants of the focus group were asked if they ever became irritated because someone they were with was paying more attention to their phone than them, all of them fundamentally said yes.

When speaking about being on holiday with her boyfriend, Participant 1 vocalised ‘‘I felt like the phone was more important than me’’ as because he was on social media, ‘‘he wouldn’t pay attention to what I was saying’’.

Participant 2 spoke of a similar situation with a friend that she travelled to see, where as soon as she got to her house, she was just on her phone. ‘‘It made me feel a bit left out and upset.’’

in person or that for some, social platforms are their preferred method of communicating. Where the questionnaire found that 30.7% of respondents were more comfortable speaking online, the Focus Group showed that for some participants, speaking online was almost a comfort zone and that online can simply be easier in the case of being slightly ‘‘introverted’’ (Participant 1).

The online world acting as a format for communication has actually therefore, in a sense, been counteracted, as it has made consumers increasingly antisocial. It furthermore suggests that in some cases as well, the reality of social media interfering with life online does not limit it to it being your own problem, or a consequence of your own action, but the action of others. Social media can furthermore be argued to be some sort of a comfort blanket, which can therefore mean that future relations can be hindered as a result of it being a long-term issue, in regards to how the technological world is only becoming more advanced.

The primary research furthermore found that social media has made some Millennial and Gen Z consumers less confident to speak 31

86.4% of respondents from the questionnaire said that they’ve been disracted by their phone when engaging in face to face interactions.

The realisation of antisocial behaviours and feeling less confident in person, along with the ever growing usage of social platforms in society, allowed the gap in the market to be filled by smartphone app Tinder. Tinder is a dating app that allows members to meet new people online by swiping yes or no to whether they ‘like’ them.

Part founder Sean Rad believed that a "double opt-in" system could be created to potentially alleviate the stress the comes with meeting someone offline (Crook, 2014). ”No matter who you are, you feel more comfortable approaching somebody if you know they want you to approach them.”

FIGURE 9 32

FIGURE 10

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KEY INSIGHTS 4. When it comes down to

it, few consumers of social media are excited by the prospect of it, however it is a medium in which they find difficult to remove themselves from.

1. Many frequent

consumers of social media feel an overwhelming pressure to attain an online identity that can be seen as favourable, and in some cases, an identity that sets them apart from others.

5.

The overwhelming reality of social media has led consumers to seek distance from it, although often find that they cannot commit to take a break, upon the rational fear that they will miss out on something.

2.

A good online status, made up from likes, shares, comments and friends, has the ability to make a consumer feel like they’re more acceptable as a person.

6. Taking time off of social

3.

media can be difficult due to the addictions surrounding social media usage, however upon deleting platforms, consumers felt better off.

Millennials and Generation Z constantly question their self-worth upon peers and strangers online, whereby they have been exposed to unrealistic expectations, and this has negative implications on them regarding their wellbeing and confidence.

7. Although social

media makes consumers more social online, it can encourage and create more antisocial behaviours offline.

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CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS T

his body of research has thoroughly uncovered the different ways in which social media affects Millennials and Gen Z both socially and mentally and the effect that this has had on their behaviour. Where the theoretical framework uncovered the broader topics in which it affects people and the theories and studies behind this, the primary findings explored new avenues and further investigated some topics that were previously covered.

It is evident throughout the research that the online world is a hugely important factor in which to see Millennials and Gen Z through their day, however it appears that one of the main points throughout is the way in which social media effects how Millennials and Gen Z view themselves, developing corresponding behaviours that they would not otherwise demonstrate if it weren’t for this digital world; a space on which anyone can be judged or compared.

Although it had been written in the Theoretical Framework that social media companies lace their apps with ‘hijacking techniques’ which lure consumers in, the research has indicated that consumers on the other hand, flock to social media because it is the most modern tool in which to communicate and share. This therefore poses the question of whether it is actually the dark side of social media that impacts Millennials and Gen Z, or if it is just the dark side of people, as they are the ones who constantly allow themselves to be exposed to such content as well as to upload content.

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Taking into account the key insights and conclusion of this report, it has highlighted three areas that could further be examined for the next stage:

1.

Explore a way in which the pressure of attaining a certain image can be alleviated, so to positively impact on consumer self-esteem and wellbeing.

2.

Explore a business concept that draws Millennials and Generation Z away from their devices, but draws them in to an experience that stimulates their senses in an approach to relieve stress and/or to regain a sense of reality.

3.

To create a communicative and/or sharing experience that does not involve or encourage any sort of vanity, therefore focusing on interacting with others an organic way.

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FIGURE 11